Wednesday, February 21, 2018

What's Selling?

After a cold start to the year, we've settled into a high 70s to low 80s routine that is forecast through the end of the month. No complaints here.

Sales activity in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral has been brisk as is normal this time of year. In the first three weeks of February, 58 condos and townhomes have gone under contract. Twenty two of those were in oceanfront buildings and eight were in canal or riverfront buildings. The majority of the activity was in units asking less than $200,000 when contracted. The over $400,000 bracket was strong with eight sellers finding buyers in that range.

Over half of the contracted units were on the market less than 14 days continuing the trend of fast sales for properly priced units. Not surprisingly, about a quarter of the still available inventory has been for sale for over six months, during which time, over 300 units have closed. The reason is obvious.

Inventory remains tight with only 221 existing condo and townhome units for sale in our two cities. There are an additional 21 yet-to-be-built units available for reservation. The lowest priced currently available direct oceanfront unit with at least two bedrooms is a ground floor 2/2 with garage at The Windjammer in Cape Canaveral asking $295,000. Those with a sub-$300,000 budget but willing to accept a side view of the ocean in an older building have 10 units to consider.

If we bump the budget to $400,000 for direct ocean with a view and garage, the short list begins with a gutted 3rd floor unit with 1344 square feet in south Cocoa Beach asking $310,000. For move-in ready with the same criteria there are only four, two in Cocoa Beach and two in Cape Canaveral, all asking $399,000. Raising the budget to $500,000 adds another seven to our list of possibilities, several of those over-priced. I wasn't kidding when I said tight.

The phone is already ringing with snowbirds looking for accommodations for the 2019 season. Those who haven't reserved for next year need to be making inquires now if they don't want to be stuck with leftovers.

It's time for the annual cobia run northward up the coast. Usually when we've had a sufficiently long period of cold weather, the fish will have been pushed south of here and will be congregated waiting to move north as water temps warm back up into the 70 degree range. After particularly cold winters the leading edge of the run can be thick with fish. Some are starting to show up but so far just in small numbers. The water may have warmed back up too quickly to keep them concentrated. Consequently, it's been hit or miss so far. Good luck if you're out there and feel free to drop off a slab at my office, skin-on preferably. Makes grilling much easier.

"I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact." __Elon Musk

Sunday, February 11, 2018

No News Is Bad News

When the other agent or the loan officer stops communicating it is safe to assume that the deal has turned south. If the appraiser hasn't called the listing agent for access to the property two weeks after contract, the safe assumption is that the borrower hasn't made formal loan application (that usually includes an application fee) or the loan officer is slacking, neither good news for hitting the closing date. In a recent deal, the loan officer responded with "everything is on track" until he went radio silent about two weeks into the deal. There was no sign of an appraiser at that point. When the title company emailed him for info three weeks in, he responded with "please remove me from your email list". Not a good sign. He strung everyone along for five weeks until finally admitting that the loan wasn't going to happen "because of the ex-wife". Thanks a bunch.

Condo inventory in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral has increased a smidgen since my last post while single-family home listings have receded to their lowest level ever. There are currently 219 existing condo and townhome units and a mere 46 single-family homes currently for sale on the Cocoa Beach MLS. That's less than a four month supply of both at current sales levels. I received three inquiries in less than an hour of entering a listing in the MLS this week.

Prices remain strong and continued upward with overpriced listings predominating the landscape. Sellers who are renting their properties to snowbirds can be more stubborn with their opinion of value during the season while they're collecting inflated rents. It can be difficult to negotiate a fair price early in the year from a seller who may be looking at collecting 5% of the asking price in rent in the next few months. Their high ground starts receding at the end of March when the annual northerly migration begins. This is especially true in the complexes with longer than one month minimum rental restrictions. Finding a renter willing to sign a lease for at least three months after March and vacate by New Years can be a difficult task.

Those looking to purchase a condo here who hope to mix personal use with rental income are well advised to be aware of rental restrictions and their implications. Anything longer than one month minimum will be an obstacle. Some years it may work out, others not.

Shower thought of the day: I wonder what new owners in the condominium across the street from my house think when they realize that Waste Management empties their dumpsters two or three times a week between 6 and 6:30 AM. There are units on the second floor whose master bedroom sliders are level with the dumpster being slammed against the truck. It's loud at my house. It must sound like encore at a Motorhead concert in those units.

Three bedroom waterfront unit, $369,000.
Monthly fees: $435
Buyer's agent's local knowledge: Priceless

I had no idea when I quoted Ursala K. Le Guin (pictured above) in my last post that she had passed away the day before. Many thanks to her for the stories that inspired this young boy to imagine worlds far different than the one he found himself living in.

"If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested they're not values. They're hobbies." ________Jon Stewart