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Archive for October, 2009
Local Sandwich Shop in Avondale – The Goal Post
If you’re thinking of buying a home in Avondale or Ortega, it’s fun to know where the locals go to eat. There are a few neighborhood “icons” where you’ll be sure to see familiar faces every time you go (note — you WILL see someone you know, so dress accordingly). This does NOT mean dress up, because the GOAL POST is a super casual sandwich shop that doesn’t put much (well, any) emphasis on decor. Located at 3984 Herschel Street in Avondale, the restaurant sits at the corner of where St. John’s Avenue and Herschel Street meet.
The owners, Michael and Eman Kassab, have been serving customers in the area for over thirty years and have a deeply loyal local following. They are always at the counter ready to take your order. It’s a family owned and operated business, so you’ve got Michael taking orders and running the register and other family members cooking, serving and cleaning up.
A few favorites are:
1) ”Steak in a Sack” which is a pita bread ”sack” stuffed with a combination of ground beef, onions, banana peppers and six different spices, all grilled together. Add lettuce, tomato and mayo and you’ve got a super delicious and satisfying sandwich. It’s the favorite of my son, Joe who often rides his bike to the Goal Post with his buddy Jake on Saturdays to get some lunch.
2) Incredibly delicious french fries – not too thin and not too thick, these fries are perfectly salted and are just the best!
3) The Camel Rider – Ham, Tabbouleh, Tomatoes and Onions – second most popular after steak in a sack!
4) The Veggie – Tabbouleh, Cheese (among other things) is Outstanding
Michael Kassab - Owner of The Goal Post
So, like the Cheers song says, “…. Sometimes you want to go - where everybody knows your name… and they’re always glad you came” ….. If you go to The Goal Post, you’ll be glad you came…and so will they!
The service is generally pretty quick but if you’re in a real rush or want to order your lunch to go, you can call ahead at 904-384-9262. Oh, and one VERY IMPORTANT NOTE. They are only open for lunch and close every day at 2PM!
When you’ve finished lunch, you might go take a look at a super cute new listing at 1749 Canterbury Street that’s just around the corner. Listed a few days ago, the 3BR/2BA home has 1,528 SF with a one car garage, updated kitchen and nice backyard. Priced at $262,500, or $171 per square foot, it’s within walking distance of the GOAL POST. To see the complete listing information about this house, click here.
Thanks for reading — join me again soon for another Avondale, Ortega or Riverside adventure!
Hot Deals for Halloween!
Jacksonville’s chilly weather today got me in the mood for Halloween and Thanksgiving so I decided to do a little holiday decorating. A great (and convenient) place to do this is at Ortega United Methodist Church’s Pumpkin Patch. When I stopped by, they were doing a brisk business (I suppose the cool weather had the same impact on others) and it was fun watching the little toddlers run around the big piles of pumpkins. I selected a huge round pumpkin for my front doorstep as well as a few smaller ones, some gourds and dried corn.
They have all shapes and sizes. You can pick out miniature pumpkins, big fat ones for a Jack-O-Lantern or even a silvery green one (I saw these once in a Martha Stewart magazine)! They also have great looking gourds, dried corn and other things that help you get in the spirit. The source of all these goodies is at Ortega United Methodist Church which is conveniently located at 4807 Roosevelt Blvd. in Ortega.
The proceeds from the sale go to support the youth group at the church. For more information on the sale or other things going on at Ortega United Methodist Church, click on their link.
Just a few blocks from this cute little pumpkin patch, we have a great listing at 4834 Arapahoe Avenue, in Ortega 
Terrace. Continue South on Roosevelt Blvd. abut a half mile, turn left onto Robert Gordon and then turn left onto Arapahoe. The house is a beautiful two story brick colonial on a great street. Priced at only $545K and under $200 per square foot, this is a great buy! If you’d like to take a look, please give me a call at 904-252-5181 or click here to see more details about 4834 Arapahoe Avenue.
Thanks for reading!
FREE MONEY – Get Some Now!
FREE MONEY
If you are a first time home buyer, I cannot imagine a better time to buy a house! First, there’s the $8,000 tax credit. This expires at the end of November 2009, so you will need to move quickly if you want to take advantage of this fantastic FREE MONEY.
AMAZINGLY LOW INTEREST RATES
Save even more money with government loans ( like FHA loans) because they require very small down payments — only 3.5% of the purchase price and now have interest rates below 4% — yes, you heard me 4%!!! This rate is for a five year adjustable rate that will then increase only 1% per year thereafter. Since national home statistics show that the average person moves every seven years, then you would only be at 6% in your SEVENTH year of ownership.
LOW PRICES
If you’ve had a chance to read any of my Monday morning market memo’s, you’ve seen that there are huge numbers of price reductions each and every week. Sellers are finally realizing that the only way to “move” their properties is to reduce the price(often multiple times). I’ve seen cases many times where sellers take reduction after reduction and nothing happens. Then, when they hit that “magic” number, the market takes notice and offers start flying in.
To see homes in Avondale, Ortega and Riverside $250,000 and below, click here!
So, if you or anyone you know is considering home ownership — it’s time to jump in! Thanks for reading.
Monday Morning Market Report – Week Ending 10/11/09
Well, it’s Monday evening — not morning! Sorry I’m a bit late with my weekly report but here are the stats. For the week ending 10/11/09, there were
New Listings – 10
Closed Sales – 2
Pending Sales – 1
Price Changes – 15
As I study the data, two things “jump” out at me — the (note the word “the” – there’s only one this week) pending sale is a beautifully renovated two story home on College street complete with two car garage, gas cook top in the center island and steam shower. The sellers paid $410K for it in Jan. 2007 and then did a master bath renovation.
A year and a half later in July 08, they put it on the market at $449K and left it there for a year until it expired. Then, in Sept. 09, they put it on the market for $330K ($80K less than they paid + renovations) as a short sale. The asking price was only $119 per square foot — a real deal — which is what today’s buyers are looking for. End of the story? It went under contract in less than a month! Stay tuned to see what the final sales price was!
The other transaction that popped out at me was a closed sale on 1389 Belvedere in Avondale. It was also a distressed sale and was a two story brick 4br/2ba with 2,190 square feet. It was purchased for $320K in Nov. 2004. There is no “interim” history, so we don’t know when the property fell into arrears but the bank took title to the property on 8/14/09, the property was listed for $257,900 on 8/20/09 and it was sold on 10/06/09 for $253,000 with a $10,000 contribution from the seller for closing costs and prepaids. This equates to a net selling price of $243K or $113 per square foot — and the house had a nice kitchen.
So….the moral of the story seems to be: Distressed Property in Good Condition + Low Price = Quick Sale!
Be sure to take note of the consistently high number of Price Reductions. In the past 3 weeks that I’ve studied/provided market statistics for the Avondale, Ortega and Riverside markets, there were 12 price reductions the first week, 19 the second week and 15 this week. That’s a lot of price reductions! We see over and over again that when a property gets reduced enough and hits the “magic” number proving itself to be a tremendous value, buyers take note and there is generally an offer shortly thereafter.
Thanks for reading! Have a great week.
The DANGER of Pricing Your Home too High – “Just to See What Happens”
It’s been a soft market, today’s buyers are super savvy and there is loads of data available to the public. Everyone knows what the house down the street sold for and it’s no secret that your house is overpriced in comparison.
There’s a term that realtors use called “trailing the market down” which means that if a person prices a home too high in the beginning, they miss the “prime window” that a new listing has to attract buyers. In a declining market, as we’ve had in the last few years, by the time the seller has agreed to reduce the price, the market has fallen more and, once again, the seller’s (reduced price) is too high. Thus the term, trailing the market down.
If you really want to sell, you must price your house to be competitive with (or below) the other homes listed for sale. Let’s face it, there are a lot to choose from and you’ve got to find a way to make yours stand out. In addition to having a great price, everything has to be in tip top shape. Clean, organized, de-cluttered and nice landscaping are essential. You cannot sell a place that appears to have deferred maintenance ( a realtor’s term for peeling paint, burned out light bulbs, air conditioning grills caked with dust, unsightly clutter and grass that hasn’t been mowed).
If the house is priced too high, buyers know it immediately! They’ve been out there looking and they can sniff out a good deal like a bloodhound! They’re equally good at spotting an overpriced house and will avoid it like the plague. So, do yourself a favor and listen to what we’re telling you. If you overprice your home, you’ll only get in your own way and your house WILL NOT SELL! Trust us….we know.
Thanks for reading. If you like what you see, we’d love for you to subscribe so you’ll get our posts directly to your inbox. If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling in the Jacksonville area, we’d love to have the referrral. Our email address is steilberg@comcast.net or you can give us a call at 904-252-5181. Thanks!
Some GREAT reasons NOT to shop for real estate on FSBO websites!
I recently attended a class where they told real estate agents (like me) that a great place to find potential listings is on For Sale By Owner websites. Afterall, the people who have posted their homes on these sites have publicly declared that they intend to sell their homes, they’ve gone to the time and trouble to “list” the house for sale, established a price, etc…. and (more likely than not) have figured out that people aren’t flocking to their homes for appointments and might be ready to talk with a realtor.
The idea seemed to make sense so this morning, I googled “for sale by owner” websites, pulled up the top three on the search, opened their sites and searched for homes in the zip code 32210. Guess what — there were only 6 homes listed for sale, the majority of them have only one photo and very limited descriptions of the property. Guess what else? By contrast, there are 99 homes listed for sale on the MLS in zip code 32210. So, would you rather choose from 6 or from 99? The answer seems pretty clear.
Another important point — I quickly noticed several properties that I’m familiar with that have not only sold — they were sold months ago! For example, 2847 Doric Avenue is listed on one site for $315K — this home sold on July 31, 2009 for $275K and yet it’s still listed as actively for sale.
Another example is a home located at 4751 Apache Avenue that’s listed for $452K. This home is not only not for sale by owner, it was listed for a while by ReMax and is now listed with the Fred Miller Group for $375K.
I even saw a home in Murray Hill (1309 Lamboll) that we listed and have now sold. It closed on August 27, 2009 for $162,250. That listing stated the last time the listing was updated was 548 days ago — don’t you know that a lot has changed in the last 548 days!!!
So, it seems pretty clear. If you want the most current information about what’s for sale, how much it costs, where it’s located and other important details, work with a realtor who specializes in the neighborhood where you want to live. Don’t waste your time looking at a very limited selection of properties and chasing down ones have already been sold! And remember….working with a realtor to find a house is FREE!!!
If you register on our website allaboutavondale.com, you can create your OWN search — price, bedrooms, baths, lot size, waterfront or not, etc… and it will not only give you a CURRENT list of properties available but will also send you updates when there are new listings or price changes.
PS – If you’re a seller and reading this, you may want to reconsider listing your home on a FSBO website and call me for a FREE analysis of what your home is worth in today’s market! I can be reached at 904-252-5181 or by email at steilberg@comcast.net.
Thanks for reading – have a great day!
ZOE’S KITCHEN – A great place to eat in Riverside!
I was showing a condo we have listed at the Park Lane (MLS #499753) today and suggested to the people who were looking at it that they really should to walk around the neighborhood (which is a walking neighborhood by the way) and stop by a few of my favorite places like Zoe’s Kitchen.
Zoe’s is a really cool place that has great food. It’s very clean, modern and brightly decorated with vivid hues of orange. The menu is based on the Mediterranean diet which includes fresh vegetables, cheeses and olive oils along with produce and fish. All of the recipes at Zoe’s Kitchen start with fresh ingredients each morning.
A few of my favorite things to eat at Zoe’s include their super delicious pimento cheese which is a little spicy, their yummy potato salad which is a little like German potoato salad (more oil, less mayo) and their lean turkey pita with their signature slaw (has feta cheese in it) and swiss cheese. They also have a few outdoor seats which,
as the weather begins to turn a little cooler, will be a fantastic place to grab a bit of lunch!
Zoe’s also caters and offers “family dinner” menus that you can order ahead and take home for those nights when you don’t have the time or energy to cook! So, when you’re in Riverside, stop by Zoe’s and tell them Allison Steilberg the realtor sent you!
New Listing in Avondale with Guest House!
I’m proud to report that we have a wonderful new listing in Avondale with a fantastic guest house. The main house has 3Br/2Ba in about 2,910 Square feet and has been very nicely updated. Upgrades include a 5 burner gas cooktop in the kitchen, a fantastic vaulted ceiling family room with custom built cabinetry and fireplace,
plantation shutters throughout and a lovely light filled breakfast room.
In addition to the great main house, you’ll be thrilled to discover that there is a new (2004) brick guest house PLUS large two car garage with extra storage. Because it’s new, the garage will easily accomodate large SUV’s. In Avondale, parking is at a premium and “guest houses” are often coverted garages. Come see this amazing space that has a living room with kitchen, bedroom, large walk-in closet and full bath. You won’t find a musty “coverted” garage here — it’s really fantastic!
The asking price is $719K which breaks out to about $211 per square foot if you take into consideration the 484 Square foot guest house. Call us today for more information about this fantastic property at 904-252-5181 or shoot us an email at steilberg@comcast.net. Thanks for looking!
Monday Morning Market Report – Week Ending 10/4/09
Click to see graph
As I study this past week’s activity in the Avondale, Ortega and Riverside real estate market, the thing that “jumps” out at me is the large number of price reductions. There were 19 price reductions in the past week.
One of them was incredible. I wrote a post last week about an amazing price reduction on a piece of waterfront property on Woodmere drive. Last week it had been reduced to $675K which I thought was incredible! It was reduced AGAIN this week to an even more amazing $599K! If anyone is out there reading my blog, PLEASE call me at 904-252-5181 about this property — it’s an amazing value!
There were 12 New Listings this week, one of which stands out as a great value. 
The property is located in a very desirable little pocket called Fairfax Manor and is priced at only $178,000. The house has 4Br/2Ba’s in just over 1,300 sf and is on a 60 x 125 lot. The asking price is only $132 per square foot and it’s on Shirley Street between Herschel and Woodmere.
A 1,643 SF brick home on Shirley just sold for $190K at the end of September so there’s a “fresh” sale nearby to compare this to!
The next category we have is Closed Sales. We had 4 this week ranging from a 2,105 SF 3BR/2BA house at 1369 Hollywood Ave. that sold for $175K to a 2,064 SF 3Br/2Ba on Post Street that sold for $283K.
Finally, we had 3 Pending sales this week ranging from a 1,424 SF duplex in Riverside at 2577 Haldumar that was listed at $89,900K to an 1,897 SF 3Br/2Ba brick home at 5015 Ortega Blvd. The list price on this house was $339,900. Stay tuned to see what these houses sell for in the weeks to come!
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