It takes a special kind of moving company for these homes

We came across this article today on Yahoo.com and thought it was too neat not to share:

"Homes made from wacky materials"

We could definitely do the moves for any of these homeowners, although maybe the "dumpster home" we would just pick up and move the whole house?

What homes have you seen in the Tampa Bay area made from unusual materials re-used in creative ways?

How much do Americans move?

Happened to see these numbers on the website of the United States Postal Service:

17% of Americans change addresses annually.

45 million people move each year.

Approximately one out of every six families moves each year.

Wow! I have heard that the USA is a very mobile country in comparison to other countries around the world and these numbers seem to confirm it.

I wonder if our local rates in the Sarasota-Bradenton area are higher, lower or about the same? I suspect higher, which is good for us moving companies.

However, moving can be very chaotic and difficult if you're not prepared. Check out our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/strongermoving for short videos to help you pack and prepare like a pro.

Not surprised ...

Saw this tidbit in this morning's Biz941 e-news:

Florida Realtors reported Monday that realtors sold 886 existing homes in Sarasota-Bradenton in February, a 19 percent increase over February 2010. The median price dropped 11 percent to $137,700. Existing condo sales jumped 26 percent to 325, while the year-over-year median price dropped 11 percent to $126,100.

What we hear from our realtor friends is that this is the case here in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

Good news maybe?

Saw this in the Bradenton Herald this morning and hoped it meant good news for 2011:

"Region among housing recovery leaders" (Bradenton Herald)

The catch-22 for our area is that often housing = jobs.  So while the analysts say we need more jobs before the housing market improves, we might actually need more houses (or more demand for homes) before the job market improves.  Where's that chicken and did it come before or after the egg?

In any case, we're glad to see signs of improvement in the housing market!

Mortgage drought in SW Florida?

I came across this article in the Herald-Tribune today:

Mortgages drying up in SW Florida (Herald-Tribune: October 8)

It reminded me of a recent job that is now on hold due to a buyer's financing being denied.  It seems like the one case we saw was part of a larger trend maybe?  I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for everyone to have a home lined up for purchase ... the buyer is excited ... the seller is ready to go buy another house ... that home's seller is ready to go ... the movers, realtors, decorators, remodelers etc. are all ready when  *boom*

the whole deal falls through ...

It's a domino effect and I hope it can be stopped before it builds any more momentum, we've seen enough of this stuff for the past few years!  Have you been affected by this?  If so, write in a comment to let us know about your experience?  Are you a banker who could shed some light on this trend?  Hit me up!