New Port Richey, Florida Real Estate Blog: Florida: Hudson

Spectacular Clouds at Sunset at Hudson Beach, Florida

I believe I have previously mentioned, that while I am trying to build my Real Estate presence in New Port Richey, that I was kicked out of New Port Richey Parks just before, or at, Sunset.  That is not very conducive to Sunset photos that really should contain videos of the span of time, or at least before during and after shots of sunrise.  

Afterall some of the most spectacular scenes I have personally viewed occured AFTER SUNSET.  The light of the set sun reflected back to earth (my eyes) off the clouds after sunset usually releases a much wider range of colors & contrasts.  So as the parking lot/beach empties I continue to shoot.

For this segment I must admit I had not planned on going to shoot sunset pics, but as I returned from the shopping plaza I could not help but notice the spectacular nuclear explosion of colors to the west.  I knew it was after sunset, but thought maybe, just maybe I would snake a few good pictures after sunset.  I will leave you to be the judge.  Enjoy, with my complments

I saw that I had to capture tonight on Film

thought this was amazing

lets point south and see what is going on

with Flash showing where I shoot from on Hudson Beach Pavillion (show stopper)

The Paviollions for the Best Pics in Hudson or West Pasco County

Let the Sunset Continue

Spectacular Colors

and what a spectacular view

In conclusion, and going forward, I want all to know that my pictures, unless otherwise stated are posted in order of time taken.  Blurry photos may be deleted, but they are always in proper sequence.  This fact I am using to learn how to better use my Camera.  In these situations, I use the Landscape Setting, with the flash turned on (which my camera determines whether it is used) and a 10 second countdown setting so I do not ruin the picture.

I saw a phenomenal picture of a scene in Ireland.  However what I learned is far above my education level.  The photographer stated she had taken the Same Picture 3 different times with 3 different settings to produce 1 picture with phenomenal foreground/background/picture in general.  Something that can not be achieved by the average Joe.   My pictures are of/by/for the Average Joe, so enjoy

I am also working on putting together the perfect video camera on a tripod with a room panning hardware for smooth panning shots for the video tours my other company does.  All things in their own time, for now Enjoy another Peaceful Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico 

Enjoy a Sunset on the Gulf in Hudson Beach, Florida

I have shifted my focus to New Port Richey, but unfortunately the Parks department seems to start there.   They close Green Key park at sunset so it ruins my pictures/video.  So I have returned to Hudson Beach for my video of Sunsets.  Hopefully this will remain a successful site, although to date, the sun is setting behind some land, instead of over the gulf.  

I also need to point out that this is only the 2nd video I have recorded for commercial reasons.   Up until now I have only promoted my listings with no party fouls.  Yet here we are

Hudson, Florida Annual Real Estate Market Report 2009 vs 2008

This Market Report includes ALL Residential Properties that Sold in 2008 & 2009 including:

Single Family Detached Homes, Townhomes, Condo's & Mobile/Manufactured Homes

Things looked much better in my West Pasco 2009 Annual Market Report than it does for Hudson.  Which is due mostly to the fact that Hudson is the farthest point in the county from the Jobs, specifically Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete.  As a result the Market is under more duress the farther you are from the hub of the Metropolitan Statistical Area and the jobs

What you should notice right off the bat, is that Sales are prtty much FLAT.  608 in 2008 vs 611 in 2009  which is a net 0.5% increase in Solds.   In other words the difference in Volume of Solds is negligible year over year.  However, what is good, and not shown in the Sold numbers is that The Inventory Levels have dropped dramatically.  

As is to be expected in this market in the State of Florida

The Average List Price Dropped from $140k in 2008 to  $121k in 2009 (a 14% Decline)

The Average Sold Price Dropped from $130k in 2008 to $111k in 2009 (a 15% Decline)

The Average List Price per Square Foot (LP/SqFt) dropped from $91 in 2008 to $77 in 2009 (a 15% Decline)

The Average Sold Price per Square Foot (SP/SqFt) went from $84 in 2008 to $71 in 2009 (a 15% Decline

On Average houses are actually staying on the market longer in 2009 than they did in 2008. (a 22% Increase)

Surprisingly the Average Sold Price to List Price ratio (SP/LP) remains at 92%.

Hudson, Florida Single Family Residence Market Update

Well comparing this chart to last months we are seeing declines in all categories, with the exception of Houses under Contract.  Active Listings are down ~1%, and Sold Listings took a hit of ~37% compared to last month.  However, the number of properties under contract have increased month over month by ~7%.  While it is a good thing in this market for the number of Active Listings to decline, it was a marginal decline.  The increase in Listings under contract is probably due to the long time that Distressed properties take to close.  We will look deeper into that in the 2nd chart.  What is very disappointing though is the steep decline in Sold listings. Hopefully this is more of a seasonal/holiday affect.  However as noted in an earlier blog, the County did not see a drop in sales like this.

Unfortunately this chart says there is ~14 months inventory for sale presently.  This should change after the holidays are over, as we have been seeing declines in inventory levels for quite a few months

Hudson Florida is following the trends county wide.  While most properties offered for sale are not in distress, alot of people are trying to take advantage of low prices on distressed properties as shown by the reversal from Actives to Under Contract.  But as the chart also shows, many more non-distressed properties close, while distressed properties linger in the Under Contract and few are closing each month, compared to how many are under contract.  This 2nd chart is concerning as well in that it shows the market has ~15 months inventory of Normal Single Family Residences, but only 10 months inventory of distressed property.  The latter number tho is not accurate due to how long distressed properties take to close.

Prices for Hudson that Sold in November are:

Total price range of            $16,500 - $229,000

15 houses sold for          < $100,000

16 homes sold for between $101,000 - $200,000

4 houses sold for            > $200,000

The range for Sold Price Per Square Foot is $22 - $138/SqFt; avg DOM is $71 & median DOM is $69

The Avg Sold Price to List Price ratio is 94%.  The High was 113% and the low was 66% with a median at 95%

Leisure Beach, Hudson, Florida November Distressed Home Market Report

Poor Leisure Beach.  NO SALES AGAIN.  Bright spot is that there are ~300 homes in the Leisure Beach Subdivision so there is a low percentage of homes on the market.  But worse than that is of the last market report there were 2 homes under contract, whereas now there is only one under contract yet nothing has sold, and 2 homes are no longer active.  So it appears a total of 3 homes have been taken off the market.  Could be that presently Banks make more money on Foreclosures than on Short Sales, but hopefully that is going to change soon

What can I say, Waterfront Gulf Access properties are a tough sell these days in Hudson, Florida.  About 1/3 of the homes for sale are Distressed properties.  The only property under contract is distressed, and nothing sold in November.  Now the Actives are down from last month, the properties under contract are down from last month as well, and finally the No Solds is the same as last month.  

Of the homes for sale the Prices break down like this

Total Price Range                     $130,000 - $379,000

9 homes are listed for under                     $200,000

7 homes are listed for between $201,000 - $300,000

1 home is listed for                                  $379,000

1 home under contract is listed for             $130,000

all 6 distressed homes are listed for        < $200,000

Hudson Florida Growth

Over the years we certainly have had a lot of rumors about future development in Pasco County Florida.  From a Nascar track, to a Busch Gardens, ad nauseum

And this could be only the latest Busy Betty chatter at the water cooler, yet it is more plausible, while being more unbelievable, due to its specifics.   What in the heck am I going on about?  The 'former Publix shopping plaza' on US-19 @ SR-52.

I, like many wondered what would happen to the strip mall when its Anchor relocated.  Especially since Stevens Furniture already moved directly across the street.  According to my source (gossiper who has 'connections in the county) his business is moving next month too.  RadioShack has not renewed its lease (allegedly), and TJ Maxx has announced it is relocating as well (allegedly).  That leaves just a couple of stragglers, which have zero chance of supporting the costs of the strip mall.  However (allegedly) this is all according to plans of the Strip Malls owner.

Allegedly The owner already has a buyer, who has a buyer, but only if the strip mall is empty.  What in the world would a developer want with an empty Strip Mall?  Allegedly, the land it sits on.  More importantly, the land behind it, that goes all the way to the Gulf.  See where this is going?

Once again, ALLEGEDLY the developer has approval with the county and state to level the mall, and not only build High rise Condos (no surprise in Florida) but to also dredge deep water canals & a much needed marina.  While that sounds like a fantastic idea, it is also the plans Achilles Heel.  I see nothing but an uphill battle (near vertical) with the ENVIRONMENTALISTS.  Afterall we are talking about creating canals/marina.  Not developing a naturally occurring area.  While Condos in Florida go without saying, dredging and developing coastline just does not sound feasible in my humble opinion.  Time will tell, beginning with the strip mall in the coming New Year

the strip mall i am talking about is on the Northwest (upperleft) corner of the intersection of US-19 @ SR-52.

View Larger Map

Fall Sunset at Hudson Beach, Pasco County, Florida

Sorry it has been so long since my latest pictorial of sunsets, had other things to deal with, and with Sunset happening earlier and earlier, it got tougher and tougher to get to the Gulf of Mexico in time to capture Nature's Beauty.  Now that I have gotten back there, I can not believe far south the Sun now sets.  I am sure part of it is illusion, but the direction I took all previous sunsets was off camera to the right of what is visible in these pictures.  And my Gulf sunsets have gone so far south that they now set over the Lagoon of Sea Ranch Dr Condos.   Time to find a new spot for winter to get pics of sunset. Hope you enjoy them.

And the Touchdown is GOOD !!!!!

What do you mean the Sun sets in the South now??? And over Land around a Lagoon??

Love the colors dancing off the clouds

Love the whisps of 'smokey' clouds & the various colors of reflected light

Time to call it a night

All photos were taken by & are the property of Daniel J. Hunter, Realtor®.  

Expressed permission required for use of these pictures

Hudson Florida Single Family Market Report Oct O9

Active listings nudged up 5 units for a whopping 1% increase in inventory (negligible)

Homes Under Contract decreased by 10%.  (rather sizable)

But the biggest change was Solds from 37 last month to 59, for an over 50% increase in closed sales for October.  But more importantly Year over year sales are up ~40% from Oct 08

The distressed market has remained constant for the most part.  The only significant change was for Active properties, there we have seen about a 15% increase year over year.  

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Best Recession-Proof Place to Retire: Tampa/St. Pete in the top 3

According to Forbes magazine the Top Recession Proof places to retire are:

1. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga., metro area
2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, metro area
3. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fl., metro area
4. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, metro area
5. St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.

Pasco County 55+ Communities

Hernando County 55+ Communities

Pinellas County 55+ Communities

So you have a choice to make, and I will not presume to tell people my area is better than another for you.  But I can say, without reservation, what Tampa has, in particular the Suncoast of Florida, is our spectacular Sunsets on the Water.  There is only a 1 in 25 chance of being hit by a hurricane here, whereas Miami-Dade is a 1 in 6 chance.  

Photo of Hurricane Probability courtesy of http://www.floridahurricane.net

Florida's Suncoast is a Best place to retire, as Forbes has pointed out.  We have many amenities to enjoy, both local and also within a short drive.

Here is a recent picture I took at Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.  This is how one can spend their Golden Years.  An easy going lifestyle, compared to the East Coast.  

FREE Discount Prescription Card could save you upto 75% just for flashing this FREE Card

The West Pasco Board of Realtors is offering this FREE Rx Prescription Discount Card to anybody.  Pictured below you will find all the participants.  As you can see it is pretty hard to not find a place near you that you can use the card at.

FREE Rx Prescription Discount Card is available Here 

To be honest, when I first became aware of this FREE Rx Prescription Discount Card benefit, I decided to do some research using my mothers current medications.  The 'savings' was negligible for her, and her specific meds.   Some prices could not come close, since Walmarts $5 common medication plan.  But if you are on medications, I can not think of why you would not at least try.  If it saves you money, send others to this site.

It is easy to look into.  Go to the UNA Rx Card website and use their drug price look up here

UNA Claims discounts upto 75% at 54,000 participating stores nationwide  

To get the card all you have to do is Enter your Name and Email address (email is optional) and Create Your Prescription Card.  It will automatically add your name and an account number, and you print the card, laminate it to protect it, and save a copy to your computer.  Or better yet, email yourself the file so it is on the internet in case your computer crashes

FREE Rx Prescription Discount Card is available Here