Happy Spring Everyone!
If you live in the south like we do you're waking up to your daily dose of pollen coating everything!! But true to Florida form, the heavy rains are washing it away and flower buds everywhere are bursting from their seams!
This beautiful weather in the average 80s will quickly turn into hot 90's so we will enjoy our Spring for its brief passing before we're back in the hot humid days of summer.
The real estate market is crazier than I think anyone alive has ever seen. With Covid delaying people's ability to move, labor shortages causing supply interruptions, and forcing up construction costs, it's created a severe shortage of inventory which is pushing existing home prices to what I think, are outrageous levels.
Florida's attractive weather and low taxes have always been a huge attraction to northerners but now the northerners who are coming from markets where housing prices are much higher are not blinking an eye at the increased values and snatching up houses before a sign can be placed in the yard. This is making it close to impossible for our natives in the middle to lower prices ranges to find homes they can afford. Homes I would've sold for 160k last year are going for 210 this year with multiple, over full price cash offers. It's become the new norm to hold one open house, collect offers and make decisions on Mondays. If your the poor realtor out there trying to help people that really need a place to live, you're writing many offers a day for your buyer just hoping one might get your foot in the door.
Ironically, the city of Gainesville is still pushing forward with their heavy-handed government rental ordinance, all in the name of "affordable housing efforts" that are pushing landlords into selling and resulting in making affordable rentals extinct. We warned them this would happen. Also interesting is that those required government inspections that started in October 2021 have yet to have any results sent to any of the owners or property managers in Gainesville.
We tried to tell them It's a huge undertaking with a massive paperwork burden. The fact that they hire inexperienced students to face time the inspection to a main office down south is ridiculous. The cost of this silly project is Estimated to be $1,200,000.00 for 15,000 units covering 3750 inspections per year. Those figures are straight from the horse's mouth.
I think the money they're spending on the inspections would've been a great down payment for an affordable housing community and the rents received would easily cover the mortgage payment. Of course, we pointed these facts out too but….. it fell on deaf ears as usual.
As I write this we are traveling for Spring Break with our granddaughter Alicia. Has anyone else had the fun experience of trying to travel this year just to be stuck in the airport for most of the day as flights are late or canceled and you end up having to purchase alternative travel just to get where you need to go?
Here I sit at 4:30 in the Phoenix airport after late flights caused missed connections and the day started at 5 am. We will likely make it to Lake Tahoe by 10 pm (hopefully) If the car rental and this next flight go smoothly. No worries, It's just the new norm, right?
I shouldn't complain I know I'm very fortunate to be able to go, to begin with. Especially with such excellent travel companions Jeff and Alicia! I'm always so impressed with Alicia and her excitement and never boarded - never complain, find fun in everything she does attitude! Man, I love that child's spirit! She is so amazing! It's all one big adventure for her. This will be her first-time snow skiing and I betcha after her 2 days of lessons she will surpass my bunny slope skills and will be skiing with Jeff on the blues! I never want to risk an injury that would take me out of volleyball so I'll just be content to ride the nice slow greens over and over! This Florida girl is not found of cold, hard, environments but the control freak in me makes me want to master it! Even If I am not very fond of it. Wish me luck!!
I hope you all enjoy your Spring!
