The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 14 No. 11 - January 8, 2014

REAL ESTATE

Digital house hunting now the norm

 

Since 1975 American Express has used the slogan, “Don’t leave home without it,” referring to the importance of always having one of its credit cards with you. In the digital world we live, in don’t leave home without it now also means don’t leave home without your mobile device, especially if you’re looking for a home.

The world of real estate digital house hunting is no longer for the young and sophisticated techie; it’s now the norm. According to a collaborative study conducted by Google and the National Realtor Association, 90 percent of home buyers today start their home searches online. And according to Realtor.com more than half of all page views of listings nationwide occur through a mobile device in order to gather primary information when embarking on a house hunt. Of those mobile searches, more than twice as many listings are viewed via iPad and iPhone than Android devices.

But not every buyer in every price range is comfortable searching on mobile devices. Interestingly, buyers in the $250,000 and under range use their mobile devices the most when house hunting, and buyers in the $1 million dollar and up range use their mobile devices the least.

Nevertheless, mobile devices are becoming almost as important as desktop computers in searching for a home. They afford users the ability to instantly research a property for sale that they may have just driven by, compare home values in a particular vicinity and even determine which school district the property is located in.

There are plenty of Apple and Android apps that can be downloaded on to mobile devices so that you’re not more than a touch away from valuable information. The most popular of these are Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia.

There is a new one I recently read about called Kurio which provides much of the same information, including homes for sale in a particular location or in a particular zip code with a full property description and photos. Kurio also can perform a GPS search so you can view nearby communities as well as providing market updates and mortgage rates.

You can find these and other apps on your mobile device’s app store. In addition, most real estate companies have Websites today, and many of the larger companies also have apps. If you’re working with brokers, ask them about access to their Website and also if they have a mobile app available for your device.

Also discovered as part of the Google and NRA study are senior house hunters who are shopping on the Internet in record numbers. Seventy-five percent of senior home buyers go online to search for a home, and 30 percent of senior home buyers first learned about the home they eventually purchase online. In addition, vacation home shoppers are also using the Web, both desktop and mobile, to find second homes. Ninety-three percent of vacation home shoppers use the Internet during a home search, and 56 percent of vacation and second home buyers started their search online.

This represents one-fifth of vacation home shoppers using Internet search engines to gather their information. Since both senior and second home buyers are very important to the Florida real estate market for both purchases and rentals, it’s not hard to understand how vital the Internet has become to the Florida real estate industry.

Personally, I never leave home without my Realtor.com and Trulia apps loaded and ready to roll. Realtor.com is always set for listings on the Island and in Cortez, and Trulia sends me an e-mail alert when a new property is listed in the areas I designated. I’m probably a little obsessed, but when my iPhone beeps and it’s Trulia, I answer.

Real Estate Transactions
Real estate transfers as of May 2013
Sponsored by Alan Galletto Island Real Estate

Sold Date | List Price | Sold Price | Address | Provision | Property Style

Anna Maria

09/06/2013 499,900 465,000 830 North Shore Dr 1467 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 529,000 490,000 313 Magnolia Ave 1424 73x114 2 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 799,900 750,000 115 Willow Ave 2140 50x110 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 750,000 750,000 300 Shore Dr 1680 4 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/23/2013 875,000 800,000 511 South Dr # A 2742 158x130 5 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/23/2013 430,000 445,000 511 Spring Ave 1093 52x145 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/24/2013 634,900 600,000 113 Pelican Dr 1008 91x100 2 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/24/2013 720,000 677,500 771 Jacaranda Rd 1586 52x98 3 Br/2 Ba SFR 09/25/2013 594,0 00 540,000 215 Palm Ave 1040 52x110 3 Br/2 Ba SFR 09/06/2013 369,900 360,000 812 Jacaranda Rd 61x108 Vac.
09/20/2013 1,835,000 1,865,000 207 - 215 Magnolia Ave 260x110 Vac.
09/26/2013 500,000 500,000 207 Magnolia 52x110 Vac.
09/26/2013 500,000 500,000 Magnolia 52x110 Vac.

Bradenton Beach

09/20/2013 434,900 405,000 2113 Avenue C 1280 50x100 3 Br/1 Ba SFR
09/05/2013 290,000 265,000 2302 Avenue B 2145 50x100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR, Short Sale
09/06/2013 395,000 380,000 1325 Gulf N Dr # 166 1392 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/06/2013 799,999 799,000 2309 Avenue C # Both 3326 6 Br/4 Ba Villa
09/06/2013 799,999 800,000 2309 Avenue C # Both 3326 102x108 Inc.
09/23/2013 269,900 280,000 102 1st N St 2447 50x106 Inc., Bank Owned

Holmes Beach

09/06/2013 475,000 405,000 415 Bay Palms Dr 1746 80x100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/12/2013 2,174,000 1,900,000 534 70th St 3511 109 x 119 4 Br/4.5 Ba SFR
09/12/2013 625,000 575,000 207 69th St # B 1200 70x110 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/13/2013 450,000 355,000 6818 Palm Dr # A,B 2042 3 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 519,000 495,000 4110 6th Ave 1500 3 Br/3 Ba SFR
09/20/2013 1,695,000 1,350,000 204 66th St 3400 29x105 6 Br/5.5 Ba SFR
09/26/2013 2,499,000 2,170,000 103 49th St 2431 113x150 3 Br/2.5 Ba SFR
09/26/2013 649,500 615,000 300 67th St 1450 50 x 100 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 579,000 552,500 215 66th St 1114 54x105 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 449,000 438,000 231 64th St 1206 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/30/2013 719,000 650,000 5605 Carissa St # South 1500 76x117 3 Br/2 Ba SFR
09/02/2013 249,000 225,000 3601 East Bay Dr # 202 1035 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/18/2013 1,000,000 1,000,000 6006 Gulf Dr # 201 2010 3 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/20/2013 325,000 300,000 6200 Flotilla Dr # 261 1426 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 379,900 379,900 6005 Gulf Dr # 219 1011 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 529,900 500,000 7000 Gulf Dr # 107 1259 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 317,500 307,500 5808 Gulf Dr # 104 1198 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/30/2013 374,900 360,000 3311 Gulf Dr # 1 1331 2 Br/2 Ba Condo
09/23/2013 279,000 265,000 3100 Gulf Dr # 5 884 2 Br/2 Ba TH
09/17/2013 299,900 287,500 426 63rd St 1216 2 Br/2 Ba 1/2 Dup., Bank Owned
09/25/2013 475,000 425,000 6504 Marina Dr # A 1791 104x100 Inc.

Source: Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office


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