RTS Orlando Homes

Let the Buyer be Aware

Here’s a quick post to let you know how we can help you or anyone you might refer to us.

As we’ve watched a seller’s market turn into a buyer’s market, we find ourselves thinking of the large inventory of homes for sale and the large number of people who have been thinking about making a move or an investment.  But do they understand the importance of taking action now, before the market changes again — as we know it will? 

Over the past few months, our team has helped two young couples purchase their first home; a growing family buy a larger home with a wonderful backyard; a husband and wife purchase two rental properties; and a student buy the townhouse he’d been renting near his college.  Some or all of these purchases might not have been possible for our clients a year ago, but now the timing is right — for buyers who are aware of the opportunities.

David Gallup & Len Hardison, Your Friends in the Real Estate Business   

P.S. Who’s the next person you know who’s thinking of purchasing their first home, a move-up home or an investment property?  Please give us a call to discuss how we can let them know about our services.

Home for Sale in Waterford Lakes

Please take the video tour of this 4 bedroom home with a swimming pool located in the popular neighborhood of Waterford Lakes that we've recently listed for sale.  The travel time from RTS to this home is approximately 19 minutes.

Solutions that Save

There are a number of things you can do to lower your electric bill.  But to save the most energy and money, FLP (Florida Power & Light Company) recommends these top 10 tips:

1. Cool your home at 78 degrees or warmer with the thermostat fan switch on 'auto.'  For additional, savings, raise your thermostat to 82 degrees or warmer when you're away from home.
2. Heat your home to 68 degrees or cooler with the thermostat fan switch on 'auto.'  To save, even more, lower your thermostat to 65 degrees or cooler at bedtime or when you're away from home.
3. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically and maximize your energy savings.  It also helps to maintain a comfortable temperature when you wake up or return home. 
4. Clean or replace your A/C filter every month to trim your cooling costs and help your unit run more efficiently.
5. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room.  A fan that runs all the time costs about $7 a month. 
6. Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.  It can save up to $70 per year.
7. Limit the time you run your pool pump:  Summer - 6 hours a day, Winter - 4 hours a day.
8. Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water.  Always use a cold rinse.
9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry your clothes faster and save money.
10. Use the auto sensor function on your dryer, if you have one, to conserve energy by not over-drying your clothes.

Oviedo Residences

The map below shows you the locations of a number of Oviedo apartment, townhome/condo and single family home communities so you can get an idea of some of the types of living situations in the immediate area around RTS.  Please use the Oviedo Residence links in the left sidebar to learn more about each community. 

This is not an exhaustive list of all of the neighborhoods in Oviedo.  If you would like to get further information about the neighborhoods on this site or learn about additional communities, please email us at: David@davidgallup.com 

Click on the thumbnail photo below to see a larger image

The neighborhoods noted on this site were chosen either because a number of RTS students have lived in them in the past and/or it is representative of the area.  The inclusion of a neighborhood on this website is for your convenience, and does not connote an endorsement of the neighborhood or specific homes within the neighborhood by RTS, David Gallup, Len Hardison or RE/MAX 200 Realty.

Greater Orlando Residences

The map below shows you the locations of a number of apartment, townhome/condo and single family home communities in the greater Orlando area that are within reasonable driving distances from RTS so you can get an idea of some of the types of living situations available.  Please use the Greater Orlando Area Residence links in the left sidebar to learn more about each community.

This is not an exhaustive list of all of the neighborhoods within a reasonable drive of the seminary.  If you would like to get further information about the neighborhoods on this site or learn about additional communities, please email us at: David@davidgallup.com 

Click on the thumbnail photo below to see a larger image
The neighborhoods noted on this site were chosen either because a number of RTS students have lived in them in the past and/or it is representative of the area.  The inclusion of a neighborhood on this website is for your convenience, and does not connote an endorsement of the neighborhood or specific homes within the neighborhood by RTS, David Gallup, Len Hardison or RE/MAX 200 Realty.

Feeling for the Bottom

Feeling for the bottom . . . economists tell us that’s what the market is doing right now and here’s what they’re watching:

·    MLS Inventories at unprecedented levels
·    Builders cutting back to whittle down their existing inventory
·    Surveys showing buyers remain uncertain about when to buy
·    Uncertainty about homeowner insurance premiums
·    Confusion over the impact of the legislature’s property tax changes

On the bright side:

·    There’s tons of pent-up demand for housing
·    Interest rates may inch up, but are expected to remain very attractive through 2008
·    The national and local economies both remain strong with no sign of a looming recession
·    The inflation rate is actually declining.
·    The median sales price in our market continues to hover around $250,000

In other words, the indicators are pointing to a short-lived bottom before the market begins self-correcting and heads back up.  One nice thing about a “free market system” is that it always seeks equilibrium.  Experts say that even as forces push the market to one side of the supply/demand equation, other forces are already building to push it back.

Here are several things to watch:

·    The number of inventory homes - currently at about 26,000 properties
·    The months supply - currently at 18 months.  In June of ‘06 we had about a 6½ month’s supply and were just entering a Buyer’s market.  Historically a 6 months’ supply of inventory has been considered a neutral market - neither a Buyer’s or a Seller’s market (click on graph for full size image)

Remember that the best economist can’t tell us when we’re at the bottom.  They can only tell us when it happened after the rebound is well underway.  That’s because the economist works with historical data.  Neither can the home buyer know the best time to purchase.  One thing is clear, however:  in the next six months there will be some great opportunities to purchase property in our market. 

As always, we’re here to make the complex understandable and lead you to a great investment whether it’s a bigger home or an investment property for your portfolio.  Over the past 23 remarkable years, we’ve guided 897 clients in creating wealth and financial security for their families by successfully investing in residential property.

-- David Gallup, Realtor