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Hi! Well it really is spring now, isn’t it?  At least it is here in beautiful Gainesville and Alachua Florida; as is evidenced by the powder of green on my car every time I get in it. You would think my car hasn’t been driven in days. But it is beautiful! The trees seem to have fresh baby leaves in a lighter shade of green. Lying in my backyard hammock (notice I had to distinguish which one ;)) with my heavenly views of nature, it’s 86 degrees and sunny. I’m listening to the wind blowing through the trees, a woodpecker and various birds and I am thankful for feeling like I live in a fairy tale!! I’ve shared some of this beauty in the picture above.

With spring comes a lot of activity in the real estate market. On both the sales side and the rental side, I have investors contacting me looking for rental homes to purchase, friends and families upgrading and others buying for their kids going to college. Gainesville is going to have some wonderful growth around Butler Plaza and west of I-75 with Celebration Pointe and perhaps even the northeast area going out towards Hawthorne with the Plum Creek project. Did you know we are getting a town center at Butler plaza? Lowes and Walmart will be relocated to another area in Butler plaza to accommodate the new development.   Celebration Pointe is going to be another live, shop, and dine community but on a bigger scale than Tioga and Haile Plantation. It’s a fascinating time to be in this area and watch as we blossom into an even more unique community with small town feel, but big city shopping, entertainment, various cultural events, and our beautiful outdoor and nature attractions. It really combines to be a very nice place to live.

With interest rates still low, I believe our economy will be thriving this next year and real estate appreciating more rapidly in the next few years that follow. We are seeing rental homes rent fairly quickly at around a 3% increase in rent and the condos are ever so slightly increasing. The sales market is pretty much done with foreclosure and there are just a few short sales left. This means prices are and will climb a little more quickly than last year as well.  If you are thinking about making a move, buying, selling or renting, now is the time to start getting ready for it. The old saying still goes: “First impressions are oh so important”. The homes you are competing against are in good condition and if older, have been updated. Things like bathroom mirrors, light fixtures, ceiling fans, flooring and countertops could increase your rental value by $100 or more each month. With the upgrades, the property will take less time to rent and could very well pay for themselves. Let us know if we can help you. Even if it’s just for advice and some direction we’re happy to help. Enjoy your spring weather and if you live up north isn’t it time to visit us in Florida?

This is an update from our broker and owner – Tanya Chappell. You can see more at this month’s newsletter or receive monthly updates about the company by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.

Read similar blog posts from “Words From Our Broker”:

Words From our Broker – January 2015

Words From our Broker – November 2015