I had a very good Halloween (and birthday) this year. I attended a certification training at NEFAR (Jacksonville) and am now a Certified Pricing Specialist. Great class. Was runner up in the costume contest - lost out to a homemade costume that was Realtor themed. Even I had to agree it was a great costume. They fed us breakfast and lunch (egg cassorole and chillie). Got home just in time for the first of the trickortreaters. I love seeing all the kids in their costumes. John and James had a great dinner, flowers and a cake waiting for me. I would like to say we sat up talking, but we cut the cake, had a piece and went to bed. It was a long day.
I'm on Phone Duty today. John and I will be leaving Thursday to visit with Mom for a few days to help with a few more post storm items. She told me today she is driving already! I would wish she would wait a bit - but it's hard to keep a good woman down. At 87 she's old enough to make her own decisions. We will be stopping at Universal for a few days for a post birthday celebration. Looking forward to getting out of town and having a little fun for a couple of days.
There is an interesting article at the end of the email on whether this is a good time to Sell or wait.
If you are in area this weekend, here are a couple of Fun Things Going On:
Murder, Mayhem, and Martinis Walking Tour
Kings Bay Submarine Veterans Memorial Week
An annual memorial service honoring World War II Submarine Veterans on eternal patrol is held in conjunction with the weekend-long, festive Subvet Reunion. Located just minutes from Kingsland, the memorial service is held at WWII Subvets Pavilion located on Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.
For more information on the service and the reunion, contact the St. Marys Submarine Museum at 912-882-2782 or www.facebook.com/StMarysSubMuseum.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Xavier
Date Night at Two Rivers Gun Range
*Non-members purchasing a $20 day pass will receive a day pass for their significant other at no charge!
Cottle & Gunn Christmas Open House
Cottle & Gunn is so excited to welcome you to our annual Christmas Open House. It’s the best time of the season to see all of our Christmas offerings, sample delicious treats and a chance to win fun gifts.
Hope to see you there!
For more information: (912) 510-0639 or cottlegunn.com
Woodbine Opry Friday Nights
Enjoy live on-stage all acoustic Bluegrass, Gospel & Classic Country Music at the Woodbine Opry.
Come join the jam session every Frinday night starting at 7pm. Doors open at 6 pm, with an open mic at 8pm.
Grab your friends and family and head over for some free old-fashioned family friendly entertainment.
Don't forget your dancing shoes!
Cozy by the Campfire
Parking fee: $5
Event Phone: 912-882-5256
Three Rivers Ride - A CAAM Tour Series Event
Join other bikers on November 5, 2022 for the Three Rivers RIde - A CAAM Tour Series Event. Ride 10, 30, 40, 62, or 100 miles in beautiful Camden County!
The ride will begin at Howard Gilman Waterfront Park on the St. Marys River in historic St. Marys! Next, you will visit the landlocked submarine at Kings Bay for a unique photo-op, then take in the views at Crooked River State Park! Another photo-op awaits at the historic Tabby Ruins. Discover south Georgia's natural beauty on the way to the Woodbine Waterfront Park on the Satilla River, before returning to the St. Marys waterfront for a celebration meal!
Fall Nature Photography Workshop at Okefenokee with John Reed
Local award winning photographer, John Reed, is offering another great workshop at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge this November! The Fall Nature Photography Workshop will take place on November 5th, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with check in beginning at 7:00 a.m.).
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers are welcome to the class, and are sure to enjoy an informative day with the widely published nature photographer and longtime workshop leader.
The day begins with a “bootcamp” on camera handling and controls and continues with “hands-on” photo shooting around the refuge with lessons and individual help. Lunch is spent with classroom instruction on digital photography fundamentals and how to use your camera more effectively. The afternoon includes more opportunities for outside photo shoots and hands on instruction.
The cost of the workshop is $70 in advance and registration is required in advance to ensure group size. The $5 per vehicle admission into the refuge is not included in the workshop fee.
This photography-filled day is sure to be a good time!
To register, please call the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center at 912-496-7836.
Food Truck Saturdays at Walkabout Camp & RV Park
Bessie's on the Move will be at Walkabout Camp & RV Park for Food Truck Saturdays, showcasing her Breakfast Menu. You don't want to miss out on this special breakfast with them!
Bring your wallet, grab your friends, and come on out to enjoy some great breakfast.
Fall Festival - EM Equine Services
EM Equine Services, located in Folkston, GA, is super excited about hosting their first ever Fall Festival! There will be games for the kids, yummy treats, drinks, face painting, a pony grooming area, and of course RIDING!!! ( A mini trail ride for kids).
Come on out for an afternoon of horses, food, games and fun!!
Entry fee is $10 per person, and this event is fun for all ages!
For more information: (919) 497-2980
Live Music - An Evening with Richard Smith at Jerry's Jam Room
Fresh off a solo tour, as well as a few engagements with fellow virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel, Thumbpickers Hall of Fame inductee Richard Smith will be performing for you LIVE at Jerry Lee’s Music Store and Emporium.
Mark your calendar for November 5th, 2022 at 7pm, to be at “Jerry’s Jam Room” in the store in St. Marys; as Richard Smith, the man both Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed began to refer to as their “Hero”, treats a select audience to two hours of fingerstyle guitar picking virtuosity.
Only 45 seats are available at this event for $35.00 each.
Call Jerry Lee's Music - (912)-576-4401 or visit the store to purchase advance seats!
Incacheetoo Petting Zoo Fall Family Fun
VFW Veterans Day Event, Parade & Ceremony
Save the date!!! On Friday, November 11, VFW will host their annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony in downtown Kingsland.
Veterans Day is an opportunity for individuals and organizations across the country to show their support and appreciation for veterans. Hope to see you there!
For more information: (912) 729-7933
Should Sellers List Now or Try to Wait It Out?
With home prices’ peak likely in the rear-view mirror, should sellers waiting to maximize profit jump in before it’s too late or wait and hope for another market reversal?
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – As the housing market has cooled considerably, sellers are now wrestling with whether to sell their homes as soon as possible or hold off on selling.
Two years ago, it was an easier decision: Prices were at record highs, interest rates were lower than they had been in years, and buyers were so desperate to get into a home that they often bid up on homes and waived any appraisals.
But now, with more homes coming to the market and higher interest rates, buyers have started to reclaim more of the power, throwing sellers into unfamiliar territory.
With the market having shifted, is it more beneficial for them to sell now or wait for another boom?
“We ask them a simple question: ‘Do you think your house will be worth more in six months or a year than it is today, looking at the way the economy is and what interest rates are?’” said Alex Platt, a Realtor with the Platt Group at Compass in Boca Raton.
A seller’s perspective
For Dr. Imran Mirza, the decision to put his home up for sale was an easy one. He saw the bidding wars around him and properties flying off the market, and decided to capitalize on South Florida’s record boom before a possible correction took place.
He finally closed on his five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house in Boynton Beach about a week ago for $1.4 million, a down adjustment from the price he wanted – $1.895 million.
It was still a significant profit from the $900,000 he paid for the home in 2017. There are “these kind of profits where people live in their homes for 20 years, and they don’t see these kind of profits,” he noted.
For potential sellers looking to list now, there is some anxiety around deciding to sell: Have they missed the peak of the market in terms of prices? Will holding off on selling decrease their ability to get a high price even more?
“If they are moving out of town, or if it’s a second home or investment home that they want to pull money out of in the next five years, they should really sell now,” said Brian Pearl, principal agent with the Pearl Antonacci Group in Boca Raton, said. “We are really trying to paint the picture, are you OK waiting for another 5 to 10 years? If you are not, you should strongly consider selling now. If you need to move, sell now because the future is uncertain.”
For Mirza, he believes that if the time is right in a seller’s life and if someone wants to sell, they should do it now rather than wait out the shifting market.
“I figured we were at the peak for selling it and you don’t want to wait another seven years for this to happen again,” he said. “If they put their house out now, they have a good chance of selling it.”
What sellers need to weigh
Most experts agree: If a seller needs to move and wants to, then they should put the home up for sale. However, if a seller likes their home and is comfortable with their current payments, then they should stay in their house.
“While things have cooled off in South Florida, this is still a good time to sell,” said Jeff Tucker, senior economist with Zillow. “I don’t see a whole lot to gain from waiting, in part because the market is turning and the higher interest rates are having a snowball effect and cooling the market even more.”
Stephan Gehrig, 38, sold his home in Delray Beach in August for about $2.2 million, a little before prices started to adjust in South Florida.
“I saw how I was kinda at the end of the peak,” Gehrig said. “I was one of the last homes that sold in the neighborhood. I waited to list and I saw how previous homes, they had all sold within a week or two, and I got concerned [when] mine didn’t.”
Interest rates and inventory levels have been the main driving force of the housing market. Right now inventory levels, while they have risen compared to last year, are still low enough to keep prices high, a plus for sellers. Should more homes become available on the market, sellers would face more competition in selling their homes, Platt noted.
“It does appear that prices will come down a lot more because people are cutting their asking price,” said Eli Beracha, director of the Hollo School of Real Estate at Florida International University.
For Gehrig, his home sold in less than 30 days, and while he had to compromise on price a little bit as he witnessed the beginning signs of the incoming cooldown, Gehrig still feels that the price was enough to make it worth listing his home.
“I do wish I listed sooner,” Gehrig said.
© 2022 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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