I’m slowly moving and migrating this blog to a more permanent setting -
Latest blog posts can be found at: Panama City Panama City Real Estate Blog

This blog easily accessible from the main menu at the top of my website and is where the newest and most recent posts will be found.

Feel free to comment as you have always done. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Panama City Beach homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City Beach Gulf or Bay front condo for your vacation home, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City Beach condos for sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Florida Real Estate

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my

Market Update Week Ending August 26, 2011

It was another volatile week for mortgage rates. The primary factors influencing rates roughly offset each other, though, and mortgage rates ended the week just a little higher.

A wide range of economic news caused investors to either add or reduce risk at a rapid pace this week. News which generally encouraged increased exposure to risky assets helped stocks and hurt mortgage rates early in the week, while the opposite took place later in the week. Mixed US economic data, continued concerns about European debt, a highly anticipated speech from Fed Chief Bernanke, and uncertainty about the impact of Hurricane Irene all contributed to the daily volatility.

In Friday’s speech, Fed Chief Bernanke gave no hint of any change in Fed policy, disappointing some investors hoping for looser monetary conditions. He stated that at its September meeting the Fed will consider whether additional monetary stimulus measures are called for, but that fiscal policy changes by lawmakers are needed to help the economy and the labor market. Following the speech, the consensus view is that the Fed is unlikely to make significant policy changes for a while.

Also Notable:

* Second quarter GDP was revised lower from 1.3% to 1.0%
* Continuing Jobless Claims fell to the lowest level since September 2008
* Moody’s downgraded the credit rating of Japan’s government debt
* The Fed’s Hoenig said that he doesn’t expect a double-dip recession in the US

The biggest economic report next week will be the important Employment data on Friday. As usual, this data on the number of jobs, the Unemployment Rate, and wage inflation will be the most highly anticipated economic data of the month. Before the employment data, Pending Home Sales, Core PCE inflation, and Personal Income will be released on Monday. Chicago PMI Manufacturing and ADP Employment will come out on Wednesday. ISM Manufacturing, Construction Spending, and Productivity are scheduled for Thursday. Factory Orders and Consumer Confidence will round out a busy week.

Panama City Beach Homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City Beach Gulf or Bay front condo for your vacation home, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City Beach homes sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

As a reminder to my buys and sellers, pay your insurance premiums and add coverage BEFORE an announcement of a tropical storm or hurricane.

Thanks to Kathy Holman for providing the following…

Once a storm gets into the Gulf of Mexico & within a certain distance of land, Insurance companies will no longer bind insurance.

Once that happens, lending requires evidence of bound insurance & proof of payment (cannot collect at close).

Please keep your insurance agent in the loop regarding your purchase so they can be aware of timing & we don’t get stuck.

It was easy. I priced the home properly, promoted it and marketed it where it would be seen by not only local agents but by millions of potential home buyers world wide.

That’s how you sell a home in less than 5 days – and not only get multiple offers but also a higher than asking price!

Best of all… It wasn’t a foreclosure or a short sale.

Now that’s how you sell real estate in Panama City, Florida!

If you are trying to sell your home in the Panama City/Panama City Beach, Florida area, ask yourself these questions:

• Has your home been sitting on the market awhile?
• Is your home being marketed properly?
• Is it sitting in the MLS gathering dust waiting for an agent to get a buyer interested?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, than you need to contact me today and I will sell it quickly and for the highest price possible.

This is not rocket science, it is simple marketing and pricing and having the most prolific and full featured website in the area which is visited by thousands of potential buyers.

Panama City Beach homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City Beach Gulf or Bay front condo for your vacation home, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City Beach condos for sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Homes for sale | Panama City, Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

Panama City Condo and Home Sales:

• Panama City Beach Condo Sales
• Panama City Homes for sale

Foreclosures and short-sales. continue to be a significant factor in the recovery of the local real estate market.

These property types continue to drive sales as well as home and condo values .

Panama City Commercial Real Estate and Business Sales:

• Panama City Commercial Sales
• Panama City Businesses for sale

Commercial Sales gained slight improvements last month, which is a good sign the residential markets will begin to rebound.

Panama City Homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City home or condo, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City homes sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

In a recent article by Brian Louis at Bloomberg.net, investor confidence in the commercial sector is on the rise in large part due to access to commercial credit and equity.

Commercial real estate transactions have surged over the past year as low interest rates made it cheaper for REITs and various private-equity buyers to purchase office buildings, retail space, industrial facilities, apartment communities, and health care properties.

Market experts see the trend continuing this year as consumer confidence builds and investors gain more access to credit.

Completed acquisitions by U.S. REITs more than tripled to $24 billion in the 12 months ended Feb. 28 versus the year before, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Dan Fasulo, managing director of Real Capital Analytics Inc., said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if U.S. commercial real estate purchases double in 2011 from nearly $140 billion last year.

Demand for commercial space plummeted during the credit crisis and recession, as investors had a tough time securing financing for new purchases or refinancing short-term debt from earlier deals. U.S. commercial property transactions plunged 89 percent to $66 billion in 2009 from their 2007 peak of $579 billion, reports Real Capital.

In addition to near record-low interest rates, a resurgent debt-securitization market is also driving the recovery. Commercial mortgage-backed securities issuance in the U.S. climbed from $2.1 billion in 2009 to $10.9 billion in 2010, notes Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Issuance is estimated to be more than $40 billion in 2011, “providing added liquidity to owners with maturing loans to refinance,” the JLL report states.

Source: “Commercial Property Deals May Double in U.S. as Blackstone Bets on Rebound,” Bloomberg (March 1, 2011)

Increased commercial sales and leases are a good indication that residential real estate values will also begin to rebound.

Benefits of renewed investment in the commercial sector includes: relocating families, new jobs, increased residential rental demand and increased tax revenue for cities and counties all of which aid in restoring confidence in the economy as well as both the primary and secondary housing markets.

Panama City Businesses/commercial real estate for sale

Owners, put my technology and marketing expertise to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home, business or commercial property, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation property and business value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City home, condo, business or commercial property, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City commercial real estate.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

As a moving company with over 75 years of experience North American, has seen it all. If you want peace of mind on moving day here are five things we think you should never move without.

1. A Bright Tote Box: It’s easy to lose important paperwork, keys, documents and valuables on moving day. Set aside a special ‘moving day’ tote bag or box that is designated for items that need to travel with you. Purchase a box or tote bag that is brightly colored so that it doesn’t get confused with other boxes
2. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: On moving day it’s important that you make time for meals. Plan ahead so that you don’t skip meals. Even if you’ve hired a moving company to physically move your boxes, it’s important to stay fresh and alert for driving and coordinating box placement.
3. Multi-Colored Sharpies: Keep yourself organized by diligently labeling boxes with multi-colored markers. Think about using one color for each room or area of your house and then adding a detailed description of the boxes’ contents for reference at your destination.
4. H20: Stay hydrated during your move by stocking the fridge at your destination. Not only will you be happy to have water on ice while you unpack, but if you’ve hired movers they’ll be grateful to be offered some water for their hard work.
5. A Floor Plan: Create a rough map of where the furniture should be placed in your new home. This will help your movers, friends or family move furniture to the right place the ‘first’ time. Not only will they be grateful for only having to move your grand piano once, it will help you think through the layout ahead of time.

Now, with these five things and a good mover, you’re ready to face moving day head-on. Just remember to plan, stay organized and take care of yourself on moving day.

Panama City Homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City home or condo, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City homes sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

Panama City Condo and Home Sales:

• Panama City Beach Condo Sales
• Panama City Homes for sale

There remains a significant number of distressed properties on the market, both foreclosures and short-sales. These properties continue to drive sales and have a significant impact on home and condo values .

Panama City Commercial Real Estate and Business  Sales:

• Panama City Commercial Sales
• Panama City Businesses for sale

Commercial Sales remain sluggish however we should begin to slight improvements in the commercial sector over the next few months which will continue to help the residential markets rebound.

Panama City Homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City home or condo, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City homes sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

Often, visitors as well as locals will rent pontoon boats, personal water craft, go fishing or engage in any number of other water activities.

As well, I have quite a few customers who have purchased a vacation home and have decided to also purchase a boat.

Many of my customers are not only first time vacation home owners, but also first time boat owners.

For those of you both visitors and customers who may not be familiar with owning or renting a boat or other watercraft, there are both safety and maintenance issues that should be addressed prior to launching your boat.

Many of these issues should be addressed annually prior to launching and are easily managed with a few simple items.

Here is a short list of some tasks and issues you should address prior to launching your boat…

• Check the engine completely and perform any and all required maintenance. You may want to read your owner’s manual. If you don’t have one, many can be found on the internet and downloaded to your computer.
• If your boat has been sitting dormant for awhile you may need to replace the ethanol gas.   It can clog your fuel lines and your engine.
• Check and charge the battery if necessary
• Check and change the filters as required
• Check the trailer and perform any needed maintenance
• Put air in the trailer tires as needed
• Check and grease wheel bearings as needed
• Always perform a safety check before casting off
• Verify there are enough lifejackets in the boat for each person on boardBefore putting the boat in the water make sure the plug is in the back of the boat
• Do you have a sounding device on the boat such as a horn or whistle

A few things that are often forgotten and/or not thought of …

• Is your insurance paid?
• Is your registration up to date? Remember to carry the registration card with you.
• Do you have Sea Tow insurance?  If not, you may want to thing about getting it: http://www.seatow.com/
  • 5325 North Lagoon Drive,  Panama City Beach, FL 32408 (850) 234-2323

Buying a vacation home is  fun and rewarding, buying a boat to go along with that vacation home is also fun and comes with added responsibility.

It is highly recommended, that if you own or rent a boat you complete a boating safety course provided by the U.S. Coast Guard: http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/boating_safety_courses_.aspx

For a complete list of safety and maintenance issues for your boat, visit:

U.S. Coast Guard: http://www.uscgboating.org/

In addition, you obtain a free Vessel Safety Check (VSC) by visiting the Visual Safety Check Web site: http://www.safetyseal.net/

The Panama City Beach local coast guard
1700 Thomas Dr # 1,
Panama City
(850) 234-2031

Panama City Homes for sale

Owners, put my technology to work for you. If you are interested in selling your home or condo, contact me today (850) 774-6582 for a free no obligation Home value report.

Buyers, when you’re ready to purchase a Panama City home or condo, contact me directly (850) 774-6582 for the latest information and pricing on any of the Panama City homes sale.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”

Many agents are not familiar with certain aspects pertaining to out of area investors and often forget to pass on vital information for their clients that they as locals take for granted.

For instance, if you’re not from Florida you probably don’t realize that we have termites just like other areas.  However, our termites are burrowing and ground termites which is why you see many houses with siding raised off the ground a few inches.

Here is a short list of “do’s” and “don’t's” for my investor clients…

Do…

• Hire a property manager – If you’re not local, you are going to need someone local to manage your property. Trying to manage your property from a distance is not only difficult, but places your property in a position of not having ready access to emergency repairs as well as general maintenance.  Even if you don’t want to rent your property, for a minimal fee, you can hire a company such as Panama City Real Estate and Property Management, LLC to look in on the property every few weeks and give you peace of mind.
• Turn off the water - If you use your investment both for yourself as well as income property, remember to turn off the water when leaving from your vacation.  You don’t want to come back to your vacation property to find a water heater has failed or a pipe has leaked and flooded the property.
• Leave the electricity on – A light on will often discourage unsavory types from attempting to enter your property.  You can purchase timed, automatic switches which will turn on and off lights at various times during the day and evening to give the property the illusion of being “lived in”.
• Set the thermostat – In the summer, I recommend setting your thermostat to 82-85 degrees.  In Florida, the summer temperatures and humidity can get very high.  Leaving your thermostat set will help keep mold from taking hold in your investment property.  During the winter, you can set the thermostat to 55-62 degrees to help keep the interior and pipes from getting to cold.

There are many more do’s, all of which investors should be aware.   From plumbing issues, to landscaping and gardening to emergency procedures.

Don’t…

• Tell strangers you’re only here for a week – Unsavory types can be found everywhere and our area is no different.  While Panama City is a friendly city in general, telling complete strangers that you own a property and only use it a few weeks out of the year is inviting trouble.  This is another great reason to have a property management company looking after your investment.
• Forget to lock the doors – Often, vacationer’s have such a wonderful time that when leaving they forget to lock up the property for their next visit.  Remember to lock all the doors and windows when you leave your vacation property.
• Leave food out – Leaving food outside invites the feral community to come and feast on your goodies.  The last thing you want is to come back to your property and find a family of feral animals under or in your property.
• Leave perishables in the pantry – Remember to remove perishable items from your pantry and refrigerator prior to closing down the property.

There are more don’ts, that can help protect your investment which we provide to all our customers.  At JenniferMackay.com and Panama City Real Estate – we are very aware that not all our clients live local and are not familiar with issues locals take fro granted.

We’re here to not only help you purchase investment property, but also to help protect your property from unneeded and unwarranted damage.

For additional information about protecting your investment, Contact me today (850) 774.6582.

Panama City Real Estate Investments

When you’re looking for an agent with experience and knowledge in commercial, residential, condo and income property investments in Panama City Real Estate, the Panama City Real Estate team is here to help.

With over 30 combined years of experience we have the information you need to make a sound investment decision. Contact me today (850) 774.6582 and find out why we are one of the leading Panama City Real Estate investment teams in the area.

Jennifer Mackay
850-774-6582
Panama City Real Estate | Florida

“Liked this post? Subscribe to my Panama City Real Estate blog RSS feed and get loads more!”