As a homeowner, it is all about a happy home along with price appreciation. In this correspondence, I discuss two issues that I think need to happen for you, the homeowner on the Central Ridge, to see the next level of appreciation. Citrus County has appreciated in the last year but to take the next step I feel we should focus on these two projects. I will mention that discussing growth is a scary issue in Citrus County but without it, bad things happen like increased crime and other social issues. Also, things change within your household, so with that being the case, it is always nice to see your home appreciating. You never know when you will need the extra money.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MARKETING COMMITTEE
I am passionate about smart growth in the county and I am sick of having listing meetings with homeowners that are upset when they find out the true value of their home. Our market is way below any other populated market in the state. This has to change. As mentioned, your life can change on a dime and your biggest asset needs to be appreciating and our market needs to be better than it is today.
With that being said, I feel for us to see real appreciation we need to have a stronger outreach to out of state homebuyers. So I am starting a Marketing Committee for the Chamber of Commerce and our goal is to use Social Media along other Grass Roots efforts to make more home buyers aware of the beautiful place we call home. After meeting a lot of you, I know there are a lot of homeowners that understand the importance of this initiative by the Chamber. If you have any ideas or want to be involved, please contact me at 352-422-5297.
WHY THREE SISTERS SPRINGS IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET TO OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET
OK, I am not crazy, Three Sisters Springs is one of our most important assets to growing our real estate market in Citrus County. Eliminating impact fees is not the answer. The answer is improving of Crystal River. Let me explain.
When I was involved at Citrus Hills, I would do the county tours with prospects. We drove to Inverness to start and the folks liked the quant feel of the town. From there we drove around the Citrus Memorial Hospital area and headed towards Crystal River. The prospects would be asking buying questions all theway until we got to Crystal River and the mood in the van changed. The questions turned to when were we getting back.
This happened too many times to ignore so I have attributed some of the non-appreciation in our market to the condition of the town of Crystal River. Think about this, buyers who want to purchase real estate over 250,000 want cool places to hang out. Think Sarasota, Dunedin, Naples, and Jupiter. Yes, we need more quality shopping but Crystal River turns off people to this area. Yes, this is a controversial statement but it is true and YOU THE HOMEOWNER IS THE ONE SUFFERING…..
Now, we can all point fingers and blame the politicians but most Florida municipalities have to rely on growth to keep their economies healthy compared to other states where the job market creates the economy. It is what it is so Citrus County, for it to be healthy, needs to have growth in the housing sector. Period. As a community we have fought it and our housing values have not rebounded like the other areas and our taxes will rise because of shrinking of Duke. How can we can fix it?
I would like to offer a suggestion on how we can start the turnaround in Crystal River. The suggestion is simple, we need to get Three Sisters Open and functioning as a Day Trip Tourist Destination along with the Board Walk around Kings Bay. Here’s why.
Grant it, there are daily tours right now but this cannot accommodate enough people to make a difference but if 3 Sisters was open on a grander scale along with the Board Walk, there would be people visiting for the day from The Villages, Ocala, and from the South. Please note, most of these folks will not be buying real estate or a hotel room but they will be bringing their lunch money and their T-shirt money. The key is the lunch money.
If we had more people visiting Crystal River and having lunch or dinner at the restaurants, it would create a bigger demand which would allow more restaurants to open. Which would create a more quant and cool atmosphere in Crystal River. We would also see more retail outlets open such as antique shops. Think about the towns that you visit for a day trip such as Mount Dora, Dunedin, and Cedar Key. If we could create the same type of atmosphere and experience as those destinations have, Crystal River would be an asset not a liability.
Now, you are asking how does this affect real estate appreciation? It is simple, as a Realtor, when I am showing a home on the Central Ridge, and take my buyers to a vibrant, alive, cool, Crystal River, they will feel the vibe and want to live here and be willing to pay more because of being so close to a cool area. Why do you think the Villages does so well? They have vibrance….. The coolness of the area makes a big difference when choosing a place to relocate in Florida.
We will never be Jupiter, Sarasota, or Naples and I am not suggesting that we should be. BUT WHAT I AM SUGGESTING is that we take three cool cities in Florida, Mount Dora, Dunedin, and Cedar Key and model Crystal River after them. As I always say, have those 3 cities have a baby and call it Crystal River. With that being said, if 3 Sisters draws the day visitors along with the Board Walk and these visitors enjoy a meal, we will see positive changes in Crystal River which will help all businesses in the county.
Thanks for reading and next time you have a conversation with a commissioner or any other politician, mention that you would like to see Three Sisters open on a grander scale along with the Boardwalk. It will help your pocket book in many ways.
As you can see, I am passionate about your home’s value in Citrus County. I am also passionate about being YOUR REALTOR which means getting you the most money in the least amount of time if you are selling and finding you your dream home at the right price if you are buying. I realize you might not need my services today but when you do, I would be honored to assist you. I would also be honored to assist your friends or family if they are need of a Professional Realtor.
Please call me at 352-422-5297 for all your Realty Needs
P.S. If you are curious on what your home is worth, please call, I will do a No Obligation Competitive Market Analysis for you.
