Actually, you can count the number distressed properties in The Shores on your fingers (under 10). While the neighborhood has experienced some of the "boom-bust" Florida cycle, it has been less affected than other areas of Jupiter such as Abacoa and it's definitely been less affected than places like Wellington or Port St. Lucie that experienced rampant overbuilding during the boom.

Some of the sales that have appeared on the books at "below market" went to family members of the sellers that left the area because of a job change in one case, or where the owner passed away in another instance. Home prices in the neighboorhood have begun to climb over the summer, although we recently had a house where both the husband and wife had lost their jobs and the house sold for about $325K (3BR on main road, not on a cul de sac, maintenance was below avg. for neighborhood). That was by far the lowest price in the past 90 days.

The most recent sale was for $350K and that house actually would have gone for $400K if it had been able to appraise. As of 9/10/2009, you should expect to pay at least $345K for a well-maintained, smaller home in The Shores.

Also, unlike most neighborhoods in the area, different builders built homes in The Shores. You'll probably notice that all of the homes don't look the same and that there are no zero-lot line homes. You should expect to pay more for a Divosta-built CBS home than for a frame home, although you may find the two homes next to each other in the Shores. Just be aware of this when you look what may seem to be a wide range of prices. Many realtors unfamiliar with the area think that the neighborhood is like a typical Florida development where all the homes are built by the same builder using the same designs and construction materials. You can't really compare homes in this neighboorhood unless you see the homes first-hand and not through an MLS listing.

I would say that it's a good time to buy, as it seems appraisers have been particularly conservative, which is favoring buyers. Prices are well off their highs of a couple of years ago when there was little to no availability in the neighborhood and there were bidding wars for homes.

Dear Carnival,

There are numerous homes for short sale or foreclosure.

Feel free to search my website http://www.LindaBassitt.com for homes for sale (click on "MLS Search") and search by map location, developments, etc. in advanced search. You can call me to schedule showings for your favorite homes or to ask me any questions regarding the short sale, etc. I can also email you a list of homes that are available, all I need to know is your home criteria.


Linda Bassitt, P.A.
Lowell International Realty Group
Harbour Financial Center
2401 PGA Boulevard, Suite 196
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Direct Line: 561.313.6961 http://www.LindaBassitt.com

Carnival,

The Shores, like many other neighborhoods in Palm Beach County were affected by the real estate mania that hit Florida earlier this century. As of today, there are 3 brand new listings in The Shores, 15 active listings and 6 homes that are under contract and in the closing process; many with contingencies that are short sales waiting for third party (lender) approval. List prices on these homes range from $249,000 to $480,000. There are numerous homes in this community that are somewhere in the foreclosure process that may be of interest.

Depending our your timeline, patience and a number of other factors relating to a short sale of a particular property will determine if it is a good fit for your circumstances. If you would like any additional information on properties in The Shores or other neighborhoods in Jupiter and the surrounding area, please feel free to contact me at 561 308-0175 or vis e-mail at tom@tompriester.com.

Tom Priester e-PRO
"Results Driven Real Estate"

Keller Williams Realty of Jupiter
561 308-0175

The short answer is, yes. I highly recomend using an agnt like myself that is a CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) who has the knowledge and training to ensure a successful transaction.

Short-Sales can be a nightmare and generally have a high failure rate. CDPE's have a much higher success rate and able to negotiate the best deals for their clients.

Due to the distance factor with you being in Connecticut, it's important to have someone you can trust to make the process easy and understandable.

I would be happy to provide that assistance when you are ready. I look forward to speaking with you.

All the best!

Craig Fialkowski GRI, CDPE
EXIT Realty - Certified Distressed Property Expert
561-827-1790 http://www.NewFLproperties.com http://www.REbuyersgroup.com http://www.VultureRealEstateGroup.com

Yes there are several distress sales in the Shores - in fact I've looked at most of them within the last 2 weeks with a client. Recently the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) that we realtors use to search for properties added a search field we can use to pull up JUST properties that are a short sales so this makes it quite easy to find distressed properties in all areas. I also just sold a short sale last week - it can take experience to successfully negotiate these deals with the bank (to get them to accept the offer) so I would be happy to help you if you'd like to see any properties.

Sally Outlaw
Diane Turton Realtors
561-301-0670