The Polk County Florida housing market rose overall in September with 596 existing home sold – an increase of 8% from the previous month (551 sold homes) in Polk County – an increase in sales activity of 25% from the previous year. Overall Polk’s median price for existing homes increased by a small margin from the previous month to $102,227; however, dipped 27% from the previous year of $139,900.
Take a look at the city you live in and see what the numbers are for September 2009 for existing home sales – single family homes, condominiums, manufactured homes -including distressed properties in Polk County.
City Average Sold Price Median Sold Price # of Homes Sold
| AUBURNDALE | 99,111 | 92,000 | 23 | |
| BABSON PARK | 285,000 | 285,000 | 1 | |
| BARTOW | 79,453 | 80,000 | 15 | |
| CHAMPIONS GATE | 150,000 | 150,000 | 1 | |
| DAVENPORT | 136,818 | 121,000 | 133 | |
| DUNDEE | 91,167 | 83,500 | 3 | |
| EAGLE LAKE | 155,000 | 155,000 | 1 | |
| FORT MEADE | 36,680 | 30,000 | 5 | |
| FROSTPROOF | 22,000 | 22,000 | 1 | |
| HAINES CITY | 98,482 | 78,000 | 28 | |
| HIGHLAND CITY | 65,000 | 65,000 | 1 | |
| INDIAN LAKE ESTATES | 37,000 | 37,000 | 1 | |
| KISSIMMEE | 109,117 | 88,000 | 19 | |
| LAKE ALFRED | 107,200 | 98,000 | 5 | |
| LAKE WALES | 98,896 | 80,000 | 25 | |
| LAKELAND | 129,025 | 121,000 | 183 | |
| MULBERRY | 96,436 | 102,555 | 15 | |
| POINCIANA | 79,361 | 70,000 | 61 | |
| POLK CITY | 93,178 | 62,347 | 7 | |
| SOLIVITA | 185,000 | 185,000 | 1 | |
| WINTER HAVEN | 107,469 | 99,500 | 67 | |
Let’s take a look at the distressed Polk County real estate market!
Distressed properties, which includes Bank owned, pre-foreclosure, in foreclosure and short sales count for 62% of our total sales in Polk County for the month of September.
- 281 sold homes were Bank Owned – median price $74,200 – Days on Market 31
- 89 sold homes were Short Sales – median price $114,000 – Days on Market 141
The data for this report was obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”.
Florida overall real estate statistics
The Florida Association of Realtors® reports that existing home sales rose 34% in September from the previous year and a 4.1% increase from the previous month. Florida’s median home price continues to stumble with distressed properties dictating the housing market – Florida’s median sales price for existing homes last month dipped to $142,000 for a 34% decrease from the previous year and 3.66% from the previous month.
Lakeland CommonGround
Recently, I strolled around the most interesting playground I’ve ever seen, Lakeland CommonGround – oh boy, I wished I had a playground like this when I grew up. The best thing is it is right here in this beautiful city of Lakeland.
The thought originally of such a park came from two Lakeland-area mothers of children with special needs, who contacted the Parks and Recreation Department with their suggestion. After four years of fundraising, planning and construction, this park opened up for all children ages 2-12 earlier this year.
Lakeland Florida CommonGround Park – a Place for Children of all abilities
Located in Edgewood Park, at the corner of Edgewood Drive and Buckingham Avenue, Lakeland’s CommonGround uses the space very efficiently with two separate playground areas, a rock-climbing wall, an astroturf mound for kids to roll down, and much more for all children of all abilities. Play zones are exceptionally designed, so children can play side-by-side.
The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until dusk!
I just love when city, community leaders, various fund raising organizations, such as the Rotary Clubs, businesses and volunteers come together and create such a place for children. Again, this just goes to show that Lakeland is not just a pit stop of Interstate 4. It is a great place to raise a family with children of all abilities.
With Polk County’s unemployment rates, this foreclosure epidemic is going to continue and it may even grow. Lakeland Short Sales are at an all time high, there are currently over 400 Lakeland homes for sale that are short sales.
The jobless rate in Polk County is at an all time high since 1992 – 13.6%
The jobless rate in Lakeland-Winter Haven for September is recorded at 12.7%
If you are in a situation where you can’t no longer afford to make your mortgage payments because of job loss, divorce, health, or other hardship; a short sale would be your best remedy to save your home from foreclosure and salvage some of your credit.
I’m a member of over 400 real estate agents and growing at Short Sale Superstars, who are committed to help sellers and buyers with short sales in Florida and across the America. Short sales can be difficult at times and this is why this group of professionals is so helpful not only to us real estate agents, but for you, especially. I would say that we are a Short Sale Agent support group, helping each other, solving uncommon issues for our clients, making suggestions that can only help you the seller or buyer. We are not complainers – we are solvers, here to help you.
There is information about lenders, such as Bank of America aka Countrywide, Wachovia, SunTrust, Wells Fargo, Saxon, and Chase just to name a view. This is a place where agents help, inform and reach out to consumer by providing valuable information to make a short sale a success.
There are over 1,000 Lis Pendens filed within the city of Lakeland Florida alone. Since September 1, 2009, 143 Lis Pendens were filed with the Polk County Clerk of Courts for properties that are located in Lakeland – a city with a population of an estimated 97,000 people.
What is a Lis Pendens?
In essence, a formal notice is filed on behalf of the lender, who holds the note on your mortgage. It is considered a lawsuit; however, the homeowner still has possession and the right to sell the property. Short sales can be your best remedy to a foreclosure.
Give me a call at (863) 619-6918 or email me at petra@petranorris.com to arrange for a confidential consultation – I’m here to help.
Lakeland real estate sales activity in September reached its second highest level this year. A total of 183 homes were sold increase of 9% from the previous month of 166. Last year’s activity, home sales increased by 16% from September 2008 in Lakeland, Florida.
Lakeland home sale prices troubles the Lakeland real estate market
Median prices dipped for September to $121,000 or 7% for homes sold in Lakeland when comparing to the previous month. Average sold prices decreased to $129,025 ($72.18 per sq.ft.) or 5.35% from the previous month and 21% from the previous year, respectively.
- Average Lakeland Sold price for September 2008 – $164,462 – decrease of 21%
- Median Lakeland sold price for September 2008 – $149,900 – decrease of 19%
Based on recent sales history for the Lakeland Real Estate market, it shows here in this spreadsheet below where the most activity takes place and what types of homes are selling.
Distressed properties in Lakeland, Florida
For the month of September, distressed homes, such as Lakeland Short Sales, pre-foreclosures, in foreclosures and bank-owned (REO) properties had a market share of 54% in the Lakeland Real Estate market. There were a total of 98 properties sold in September compared to 43 distressed Lakeland homes sold the year prior, according to Mid-Florida Regional MLS.
- Average days on market (DOM) for bank-owned properties are 85 days
- Average days on market (DOM) for other distressed properties, such as Lakeland short sale homes are 183 days.
27 Distressed Homes Sold – average sold price $147,775 – $71.76 per sq.ft.
71 Bank-owned (REO) sold – average sold price $95,380 – $53.30 per sq.ft.
Take a look at my spreadsheet below. I’ve separated the report by zip code instead of school zones; it gives you a more accurate report in my opinion. The data and graphs for this report were obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”. The numbers highlighted in pink represents the zip codes where average sold prices have exceeded.
Which zip codes represents the most sales activities since January 2009?
| Lakeland | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Grand Total |
| 33801 |
20 |
12 |
15 |
21 |
13 |
16 |
17 |
12 |
20 |
146 |
| 33803 |
11 |
10 |
16 |
18 |
16 |
19 |
26 |
19 |
22 |
157 |
| 33805 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
9 |
5 |
10 |
14 |
14 |
8 |
95 |
| 33809 |
13 |
12 |
16 |
11 |
18 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
25 |
145 |
| 33810 |
25 |
31 |
34 |
31 |
46 |
37 |
40 |
33 |
42 |
319 |
| 33811 |
10 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
18 |
22 |
20 |
15 |
22 |
158 |
| 33812 |
10 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
7 |
9 |
16 |
15 |
10 |
93 |
| 33813 |
9 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
26 |
33 |
35 |
38 |
29 |
250 |
| 33815 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
45 |
| Grand Total |
115 |
125 |
152 |
154 |
156 |
169 |
188 |
166 |
183 |
1408 |
For more information on the location of these sold homes in Lakeland, price and size of the home click on map picture which leads you to the interactive Community Walk map created by Chuck Welch of Lakeland Local.
If you are interested in a specific area or neighborhood, feel free to contact me at petra@petranorris.com or click the search button below.
Imagine you are going to bed at night and the next day you wake up a century later….. then you don’t 
want to miss this romantic Lerner & Loewe classic musical that tells the story of two Americans who discover a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years. Containing such songs as Heather on the Hill, I’ll Go Home With Bonnie Jean, and Almost Like Bein’ in Love in Brigadoon you will find that anything truly is possible…even miracles.
It is no secret around here in Lakeland Florida that October is when the students at Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts present their annual musical theater production. This year’s classic, “Brigadoon”, will be a remembrance of past musicals’ great successes. Musicals like “Singing in the Rain”, “Starting Here, Starting Now”, “King and I” and “Pirates of Penzance” brought exhilaration and a full house to Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Arts theatre. This year you will be astonished by these High School kids from departments such as musical theater, music, dance, orchestra and theater departments, showcasing their exceptional talents.
Photos were taken and provided by Andy Glogower http://innerglowphoto.com/
Performances: October 22, 23, 24 at 7:30 p.m. – October 25 at 2:00 p.m. ****Reserved Seating****
Ticket prices: $8.00 for student/seniors – $10.00 for adult ticket
Box Office hours: October 22nd 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
October 23rd 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
October 24th 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
October 25th 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Purchase Tickets online at www.harrisonarts.com
One of the things I love most about my job as a Lakeland real estate professional is that I get to educate my buyers about the real estate purchasing process. With a doubt, a term that is often not very well understood by new Lakeland home buyers is the term Escrow Account. So, I’ve written down a brief overview for you here.
An escrow account is a specially designated savings account into which funds are deposited for a defined purpose.
With respect to Lakeland real estate and mortgages, your escrow account is used to hold money in a neutral account prior to closing, and later to pay real estate tax bills and homeowners insurance payments.
Once your mortgage is in effect, escrow accounts are managed and disbursed by lenders or their designated servicing companies.
Say you opt for an FHA mortgage. This type of home loan will require you to “escrow” your scheduled monthly home owners insurance (hazard insurance) as well as a set amount for your property taxes. The lender basically wants to be sure that you will be able to cover these bills when they come due. When the time does come for them to be paid, your lender cuts a check to each entity from your escrow account. You will not pay these bills directly.
One of the things I like most about living in the Lakeland area is the activity among our local veterans. My husband and I met in Germany during the time he was stationed there, and his status as a US Veteran is one that is near and dear to my heart.
One of the many benefits we’ve enjoyed as a result of his service to our nation was the Lakeland VA home loan we took out to purchase our current home here in town. Even during the highs and lows of the mortgage market over the past several years, I still feel that the deal we got as US Veteran home loan applicants ranks as one of the best out there.
Why Get a Lakeland VA Home Loan?
VA home loans are an excellent choice for any eligible veteran interested in buying Lakeland real estate, and surprisingly, only about 10 percent of US veterans take advantage of them.
In our present economic environment, where it’s becoming more and more difficult to get home financing, a Lakeland VA mortgage loan offers a good alternative. VA loans don’t require a down payment, which is rare among mortgages today. Even FHA home loans require borrowers to come up with 3.5 percent down. So, using the VA home loan option can really help veterans purchase a home large enough for their family – one that they might be unable to afford with a conventional mortgage.
Lakeland VA home loans do not carry any prepayment penalties – so you can pay the mortgage down as quickly as you like. They also have more relaxed requirements for qualification. If you’re a veteran who is interested in buying a home in the Lakeland area, then you should look into applying for this loan option.
Who Qualifies for a VA Mortgage?
If you’re active in the military, or are presently retired, you qualify! To get approved for a Lakeland VA home loan, simply contact a Florida VA mortgage provider. He or she will provide you with answers to any questions you have, and they’ll streamline your application process by handling all of the red tape for you. You know that stuff well, I’m sure, from your time in the military.
If the purchase of a piece of Lakeland real estate is in your future, consider a VA home loan as your funding option. Our country owes its veterans a great debt, and Lakeland VA mortgages represent one way you, as a US veteran, can be rewarded for your honorable service.
Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1934 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 10/20/09, which remained balanced for the past few weeks. Newly listed homes for the period of October 1st through October 15th totaled 185 Lakeland homes recently came on the market. Average sales price of $154,469 or $89.68 per square foot with area Realtors®.
The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:
7 condos listed with an average sales price of $112,385
16 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $96,662
8 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $89,521
154 single family homes with an average price of $165,762
The priciest Lakeland real estate just listed is a 2008 pool home located in the Crescent Woods subdivision; featuring 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths with over 4,400 square feet of living space currently offered for $895,000. On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland home newly listed is a 2 bedroom 1 bath listed for only $10,000 – just under $15.00 per square foot – located in the Palma Ceia Court subdivision.
All data for this report was obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”.
Take a look at the breakdown by zip code:
33801 – 17 with an average sales price of $87,235
33803 – 23 with an average sales price of $157,943
33805 – 19 with an average sales price of $123,084
33809 – 33 with an average sales price of $175,256
33810 – 41 with an average sales price of $149,776
33811 – 20 with an average sales price of $179,510
33812 – 06 with an average sales price of $191,700
33813 – 18 with an average sales price of $216,203
33815 – 08 with an average sales price of $70,775
Update on distressed homes in Lakeland
A total of 520 properties are currently actively being marketed that are facing foreclosure. There were 64 Lakeland homes newly listed in the distressed category with average prices of $120,094 or $68.06 per square foot. Distressed homes are categorized as “Bank-Owned”, “Require 3rd party approval (Short Sale)”, “Pre-foreclosure”, and “In-Foreclosure”.
Update on Lakeland Real Estate that have sold
For the period of October 1st through October 15th there have been 71 Lakeland homes sold so far with an average price of $119, 974 or $69.08 per sq. ft.
For more information on the location of the properties newly listed in Lakeland, pricing and size of the homes click on map picture which leads you to the interactive Community Walk map created by Chuck Welch of Lakeland Local.
Are you looking for a great deal here in Lakeland, Florida - look no further – it is all right here with a click of your mouse.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the annual Mercedes-Benz Lake Mirror Classic takes place around Lake Mirror and in the downtown Lakeland area on October 16/17, 2009. Lakeland expects an estimated 35,000 people wandering around Lake Mirror for the two day event which is considered as one of the best shows in the Southeast. Visiting the extraordinary event will mesmerize car enthusiasts around Lakeland and the country.
This two-day charity event raises money for Lakeland’s non-profit groups, such as the Junior Achievement, Pied Piper Players, Boy Scouts, the First Tee, Historic Lakeland, and Lakeland Regional Cancer. More than $200,000.00 has been raised or donated helping them raise needed funds through the sale of food and beverage at the event.
The honorary chairman for this year’s Festival is Hall of Famer and endurance racer Hurley Hawood, known as a one-of-a-kind driver winning the 24 Hours of Daytona five times – a pioneer and a legend indeed.
What can you expect at Lakeland’s Lake Mirror Classic?
Friday, October 16th from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. there will be a free Budweiser Hot Rod Rendezvous at the Lake Mirror Amphitheater with a free outdoor concert featuring live music by Jr. and the MDs, 100 hot rod and custom cars.. The Hot Rod Rendezvous will benefit the Junior Achievement of Polk County
Saturday, October 17th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Lake Mirror Park and downtown Lakeland, Judged Concours d’ Elegance – “contest of elegance” for 100 selected cars in the following categories:
- Brass Era Vehicles
- Pre-War Classics 1925-1942
- Pre-War Production Cars 1900 – 1942
- Post-War Production Cars 1945-1962
- Commercial Vehicles thru 1959
- Muscle Cars 1964-1972
- Domestic Sports Cars Thru 1972
- Foreign Sports Cars Thru 1972
- Cars of Particular Interest
Art Deco Automobiles featuring 1930 Mercedes-Benz 130H (German), 1938 Panhard Dynamic (France), 1937 Tatra T87 (Czechoslovakia), and the Peugeot Darl’ mat (France). Classic Wooden Boat show at Lake Mirror, Classic Motorcycles
Noon: Lunch Parade to the Lake Mirror Promenade led by Scottish bag-piper as tuxedo-clad Terrace Hotel waiters delivers lunch to Concours d’ Elegance participants.
2:00 p.m.: Parade of Classic Wooden Boats at Lake Mirror
3:00 p.m.: Awards Ceremony of Concours d’Elegance trophy presentation
Check out the photos I took at last year’s event of the Lake Mirror Classic – you don’t want to miss it – Truly Amazing!
A First Time for Everything
Hi folks, I’ve been asked for a long time now to do a video about Lakeland, Lakeland real estate and the communities. Petra Norris don’t mind doing videos, I just likes to do them behind the scenes.
There is a first time for everything, first time to buy a home, first time to sell a home, first kiss, first… you get the hint. Well, with me this is the first time in front of a video camera and I just hope you enjoy. There are more to come in the near future thinking of Lakeland Real Estate market reports, Lakeland communities, events, etc.
I hope you enjoy my first production of this video – an introduction of your Lakeland FL Realtor
