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Jun
26
Posted by robin sherman
Navarre Beach Park, a bright spot on Navarre Beach, is scheduled to reopen this October. The Navarre Beach Park was destroyed in September of 2004, by Hurricane Ivan.
The park is run by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks and includes 400 parking spaces, picnic tables, pavilions, dune walkovers, and restrooms on both Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Navarre Beach Park has been a popular spot with bird watchers as the habitat on the Santa Rosa Sound is perfect for shorebird nesting. In fact, the park’s reopening was scheduled for this summer, but has been delayed due to concerns about possible distrubance of the shorebird nesting season.
The Santa Rosa County Commission has solicited suggestions from area residents for services to offer in the Navarre Beach Park. According to a Pensacola News Journal article some of the suggestions have included activities for stargazers, a concert stage and the return of campsites.
Navarre Beach is on the eastern tip of Santa Rosa Island - Pensacola Beach anchors the western end of the island - and is populated primarily by a few high rise condominiums and a smattering of beach rental homes and primary residences. With the exception of the few Gulf front condominiums at the center of the beach, Navarre Beach is relative untouched and commercial free (two restaurants and a convenience mart). The average sales price for the first five months of 2008 in the combined area of Navarre and Navarre Beach was $273,506.
The October Navarre Beach Park reopening will coincide with the annual Beaches to Woodlands tour hosted by the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council. This is a popular festival linking northern and southern Santa Rosa County through outdoor activities.
For Similar Articles:
Jubilee . . . Remembering Old Florida
Four Things to Love About Navarre Beach
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Jun
21
Posted by Robin Sherman
Home Sales Pricing and the Law of Attraction . . . I had been rolling 
around the idea of writing a blog post on “Pricing Right” for the home seller when I found myself with time to kill in the Raleigh/Durham airport. Perfect I thought, I’ll sit here and outline this real estate pricing strategy post . About a page into it my flight was called.
So here’s where the Law of Attraction comes in. Figure the odds of this. Of all the people on this airplane, where does the one gentleman who is traveling to Florida to sell his mother’s home sit? You guessed it, right beside me.
After the introductions were made and he learns I’m a Realtor – not only a Realtor, but a Florida Realtor, he exclaims, “It’s my LUCKY day.” Hmmm . . . maybe . . . I think.
Here’s what he told me. He listed his mother’s property just over six months ago. (So, in this SLOW market it has already been on the market six months.) Of course it’s in perfect shape, best home in the neighborhood, etc. He’s on his way to meet with his Realtor and find out why it hasn’t sold.
But, you know me. When asked, I told him why. Why? It isn’t priced right. Pure and simple. It just isn’t priced right.
I asked how he arrived at his price originally. He said his Realtor gave him a number and then since the Realtor pointed out that the house needed a new roof, he got an estimate and then added this amount to the price. “And what did your Realtor say about that?,” I asked. “Well, he said I that might be a little high.” Hmmm . . . (Again!)
“And what has he said since then?,” I ask. “Well, just that he’s showing it. There’s not much traffic.” Hmmm . . . (Again!)
So here’s my philosophy on pricing:
- Always give the Sold and Pending homes more weight than the Active homes when setting a price.
- The Market, and the Market alone, ultimately determines the sales price.
- Know the number of months of inventory in that particular neighborhood (or market) and make sure the seller knows.
- The home must be one of the top two or three BEST priced homes in terms of the competition or it WILL NOT SELL.
Here’s what happens. It’s VERY, VERY simple. Buyers give their Realtor their price range and “must haves.” The Realtors – and today the Realtors and the Buyers given the access to listings on the internet – select the homes to see. The top value homes – read lowest price for the same features – get the most attention. And these are the ones that sell most quickly. Remember, more homes are coming on the market each and every day, so a good Realtor – even a merely competent Realtor – is keeping track of where the home stands vis-a-vie the competition.
So, fortunately the home this gentleman is trying to sell isn’t in my market. Because, I had to tell him it was time to fire his Realtor and look for another, and this time listen to them from the Get Go!
And as far as the Law of Attractions goes, when it’s priced right it is guaranteed to attract a buyer. Happens EVERY time!
More Posts on Real Estate Pricing:
Silver Lining to the Harsh Realty Reality . . . Price for the Market
Creative Real Estate Marketing or Just Plain Silly?
Information presented here contains the information and opinions gathered by Robin Sherman, MA, CRS, Broker and is accurate to the best of her knowledge
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Jun
15
Posted by Robin Sherman
Four Things You’ll Love About Navarre Beach . . . Well, I could come up with hundreds . . . but we all know what short attention span those of us on the internet have so, I’ll hold it to four for the time being!
1) The Beach – the beach, the beach, the beach Itself! Where else (other 
than Pensacola Beach) can you find such WHITE sand beaches and such gorgeous aqua green water? Navarre Beach is a TREASURE to be sure. Wanna walk along the shore and collect seashells? Wanna fish from shore? Wanna people watch? This laid-back piece of Florida real estate heaven is the place for you!
2) Juanna’s Pagoda – Volleyball and a killer breakfast, sailboats and beer, 
live bands and ring toss; come in the morning, come mid-day, come in the evening – something will be going on at this landmark grass thatched hut located at the base of the bridge.
Make sure you sign up for their mailing list so you won’t miss the special events, like sailing regattas and battles of the bands.
3) Bikers on the Beach on Saturday and Beach Church on Sunday. Come to 
Cocodries Restaurant at Navarre Beach on Saturday and check out all the fancy bikes, along with a great biker rock band. Come back on Sunday – same parking lot – and you’ll find the Beach Church in session – attended by many of the participants from yesterday’s Biker’s on the Beach concert!
4) Great, Affordable Housing – the Navarre area’s median home price for the year ending June 15, 2008, was $216,950. While beach homes sport higher price tags than homes on the mainland, you can live five minutes away and SAVE!
Interested in Navarre or Navarre Beach real estate? Give me a call and I will fill you in on all the ins and outs of purchasing real estate along the Gulf Coast.
