the ST SIMONS letter ~ May 2012 ~ Info for Glynn Co real estate investors

StSimonsLetter. com

CRUCIAL INFORMATION for SAINT SIMONS ISLAND and GLYNN COUNTY Georgia
REAL ESTATE INVESTORS ~ PUBLISHED MONTHLY

StSimonsLetter.com is a
monthly publication for
informed real estate investors
and other professionals
covering St Simons Island and
Glynn County, Georgia.

The letter compiles local real
estate statistics, critical news
items, and comprehensive
insight regarding the local
market. It is Glynn County's
most important real estate
publication.

StSimonsLetter.com is available
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May 2012

INSIGHT

0% lodging tax hike to set new records!

...

Patrick

Anderson,

Publisher

For those who don't read the local paper,

there is talk at Glynn County's highest levels about raising the lodging

tax from 5% to 8% ... a

punishing

60% increase!

The Guiness Book of

World Records should devote a whole page ...

EAD

THE

REPORT

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PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION

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ONLY

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$5 per

month thereafter ... cancel anytime.

               TRANSACTION CENTER

TRANSACTIONS ... While the number of unit sales in April 2012 increased by
about 2% county wide, the dollar volume was down by nearly 6% when compared with
April 2011. A reduction in the average sale price was a significant factor in both ... GO
TO REPORT This comprehensive MLS based report shows historical sales data,
individual transaction details, photos, list prices, sale prices, analysis, and more.

MARKET CONDITIONS ... YSL rose slightly in January and February
causing some to worry that the local market may be weakening. But the recent to 1.31
YSL eases those concerns for the time being ... READ THE REPORT This report will
help you time the real estate recovery and target geographic areas with the most
negotiable prices.

WARRANTY DEEDS ... During the month of April 2012 there were 180
warranty deeds filed in Glynn County, about 5% more than were filed in April 2011. The
April 2006 total was 407, a reminder of just how far activity has fallen since the peak
real estate years ... VIEW THE REPORT This Public Records based report shows
seller, buyer, deed reference, price and property descriptions for each of last month's
real estate sales. This is essential reading for a complete understanding of last month's
transactions.

             FORECLOSURE CENTER

FORECLOSURE AD TRACKER (PRE-FORECLOSURES) ... Our easy to
scan spreadsheet report now shows 96 new foreclosure ads for the June 5 auction on
the courthouse steps ... VIEW THE R EPORT This report will keep you from going
blind reading the foreclosure ads in the local paper. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook
(at left) for immediate notification when new foreclosure ads appear in our report.
Most of these properties will appear on the Foreclosure Deeds report below the
following month.

FORECLOSURE DEEDS (RECENT FORECLOSURES) ... April 2012
foreclosure deeds declined 57% when compared with April 2011, dropping from 70 to
30. That's the third consecutive monthly drop when compared with the same month,
previous year. A continuation of this trend along ... VIEW THE REPORT Watch this
report to see names, deed references and locations of properties that have recently been
foreclosed. Most will eventually end up on the Foreclosures for Sale report below.

FORECLOSURES FOR SALE (LISTED BY REALTORS®) ... The following
MLS listed properties are for sale and have been tagged as "foreclosure properties" ...
VIEW THE REPORT This is considered the area's best resource for immediate
foreclosure purchase opportunities.

                     SEARCH CENTER

LOCAL MLS LISTINGS ... (no subscription required) This feature lets you
search St. Simons Island and Glynn County MLS Listings in four categories:
Residential, Land, Commercial and For Rent. You can further refine your search by
price, subdivision, size and many more criteria ... CLICK HERE TO SEARCH Over 4400
properties listed here. The area's most comprehensive site for real estate searches.

PRICE REDUCTIONS, FORECLOSURES & SHORT
SALES ... The following MLS listed properties are organized in three categories:
reductions, foreclosures and short sales. Each category is organized by area and price.
Look here for real estate bargains in Glynn County ... MORE 300+ properties listed.

THE A-LIST ... Finding a good painter, electrician or other home service provider
can be a challenge. The following businesses appear on the A-List only upon the
recommendation of a subscriber. They keep their spot only by providing ... MORE
Over 100 local vendor listings here.

                        NEWS ITEMS

March pending home sales rise, market recovering ...from
Realtor.org ... Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago,
another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association
of Realtors®. ... FULL STORY

Home prices expected to stabilize this year ... from DSNews.com
... Analyzing the housing market through the perspective of 384 markets, Fiserv Case-
Shiller Indexes pointed to a slow, but steady pace toward recovery after dramatic prices
declines. “The year-over-year decline in average home prices does not ... FULL STORY

Three new bills aim to increase refinancing ... from
HousingWire.com ... Three bills intended to increase homeowner refinancing were
introduced this week by Democratic senators — bills that HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan said are “a win, win, win and something that we ... READ THE ARTICL E

Economists outlook blog ... from Realtor.org. Get your daily dose of
information on economic data, real estate trends and market conditions in NAR's new
Economists' Outlook Blog. A full menu of information for the real estate data junkie.
Updated daily ... ACCESS THE B LOG

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