Whether you’re buying or selling a home, whom you choose as your real estate broker or real estate brokerage makes all the difference in the world – whether in a buyer’s market or seller’s market, bubble or bust. It is important that they be a licensed realtor. This means they will have an understanding of how to value luxury, historical, or other specialized properties. In Charleston, real estate agent Lee Keadle gets my vote for the best. He has helped me buy and sell four homes, and each time I have sold for more than I asked and paid less than was asked for each home – truly a midas touch.
If I had to pick my favorite true southern city, I’d have to pick Charleston. The historic waterfront, the fantastic restaurants and shopping, and the beautiful weather all make Charleston a lovely city in which to reside. What’s more, Charleston real estate won’t set you back much more than comparable real estate in, say, Savannah, where you won’t even get beachfront or waterfront. Whether it’s a historic plantation-style house or a condo near the college, Charleston real estate is worth every penny.
As far as real estate goes, the news in southern Florida these days revolves around Palm Beach, Miami, and Jacksonville. But little sub-suburbs if you will are sneaking under the radar. Take Boca Raton, Jupiter, and Ponte Vedra, FL. Real estate prices in these affluent communities have stayed about flat or even risen while the bigger centers which they surround have seen fast downward spirals in prices. Be it beachfront property, a condo, apartment, single-family home or small business, the best real estate agents will get you more in places like Ponte Vedra or Atlantic Beach than they’ll be able to fetch in, say, Palm Beach.
A lot of people feel like they missed out during this last housing boom. But those who bought Jacksonville Real Estate are feeling the pain in a big way now, with median prices on single-family homes falling over 12% year over year. Many are also quick to point out that now is a real buyers’ market with the potential to realize gains more permanent gains on an investment in a home than they would have been if you had bought in, say, 2004.