This beautiful Cedar Crest custom home is waiting for a new owner.  Cedar Crest is simply the best subdivision at the Lake of the Ozarks, it is THE address that everyone wants to call home.  The home has everything, and I do mean everything.  The floorplan is ideal, and creats room for everyone to enjoy the home yet have peace and privacy as well.  The Lanai, pool, gameroom, are all one of a kind and must be seen to be appreciated, and the view is, well, quite simply the best view at the Lake of the Ozarks.   Call John Garrett for a private shgowing, or for information about this and other great luxury deals at the Lake of the Ozarks.  573-302-2320.

I just saw a national stat that 20% of all sales in 2008 were foreclosures.  Yes, we are seeing an increase at the Lake of the Ozarks, but for the year 2008, only .008 of residential sales were listed as  a foreclosure. 

CURRENT UPDATE 2012:  In 2011, there were 274  foreclosure sales.  In 2010, there were 382 foreclosures sold.  That’s a big decrease.  Like a 28% decrease.   If you are a buyer, this means you are missing the best time to nab a foreclosure buy.  Here are the current foreclosure deals at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Everyone is looking for a deal, and choosing the right buyer’s agent to work with is crucial and critical.  I like to say that “I can deliver certainty of outcome.”  You will be certain that you didn’t overpay for property and you will feel comfortable with your deal.  I sell enough real estate that no one deal is going to make or break me, so you won’t feel pressure from me to go ahead and buy a deal that you are not 100% convinced is right for you. 

If you would like to interview me to see if we might be able to work together, call 573-480-6420 or e-mail me.   

Cedar Crest Lake Ozark MO

If you want the best address at the Lake of the Ozarks, look no further than this stunning home atop a bluff in Lake Ozark Missouri.   This home offers a rare combination of “in-town” location with seclusion and privacy thanks to a gated, electronic entry system.  The landscaped waterfall is like no other at the Lake, this home has a private pool to go with the subdivision pool as well.  This home fronts a golf course, and opens up to a stunning 10-mile view of the Lake of the Ozarks in back.  The gourmet kitchen is as impressive as you will find at the Lake, and the cabinetry throughout the home is top of the line Schrock cabinets.  The screened-in lanai gives you a great room to enjoy the pool and outdoor kitchen.   The game room has it’s own bar and kitchen, as well as a sauna and workout room.  The master suite is an oasis with a see through corner fireplace, and one of the largest walk-in closets you will ever see.   The second suite on the main level has a large private bathroom and offers total seclusion. 

A three car garage allows you to have a golf cart for driving the family to the boat dock, an added bonus is the path, walkway, and dock are wide enough for you to drive right onto the dock to unload the family and cooler right onto the boat.  The dock sits behind a breakwater for safety and comfort, and the location at the 14-mile marker is as central as it gets.  Cedar Crest has an electronic gated security system that guarantees privacy.  The award winning landscaping features a water feature with a waterfall, and is meticulously maintained.  The owners association bought all of the remaining golf course lots to guaranty the view will never change, and there will be no more development in the area. 

This is a rare opportunity own that special waterfront, golf course estate.  Call John Garrett 573-302-2320 for a confidential, private showing of this fine home.  Reasonably priced at 2.7 million US. 

Luxury Waterfront Home

I just previewed a fine Lake home, it is listed with RE/MAX Lake of the Ozarks and is located in the Villages on Shawnee Bend.  Wow, 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 3 full laundry rooms, and two full and two half kitchens. The finest travertine marble, granite, stone, slate, exotic ebony hardwood, knotty alder, are featured through this expansive home. State of the art sound, security, and technology is featured in every room offering all of your senses a treat.  Waterfront pool, plenty of room for a boat dock, elevator, all build by the Lake’s premier home builder. 

Trust me when I say this writeup or a few pictures cannot do this home justice.   If you want the best, this one is it.  Priced at $3,750,000

Luxury Waterfront Home Market Lake of the Ozarks.   

Forget trying to time this market, now is the time to step up and buy that deal of a lifetime at the Lake of the Ozarks.   Don’t be that guy that goes around telling everyone “Well I could have bought that for $$$$”.  Don’t you always want to say to that guy “then why didn’t you, are you crazy?  Oh, you don’t like making money!” 

An interesting look at the numbers show 26 sales over a million dollars in all of 2007, and through Novemeber 15th 2008 there have been 21 closings with a few pendings that could still close this year. 

That is not a whole lot of difference considering the turmoil that 2008 has seen in all markets.  If we drill down into the numbers a bit more, we see that the averge price per square foot paid decreased from $325 psf to $288 psf in the last year.  This market usually sees a healthy increase in price per square foot, so this decrease would mean a buyer today is not only paying 11% less, they are also saving the usual 12 to 15% appreciation we are used to.  A buyer today is looking at an average savings of something in the 23% range or better!   A fourth off the price you were looking at in 2006! 

 You make money when you buy, and right now really is the best time to buy.  Call John Garrett with any questions or comments. 

The Lake of the Ozarks real estate market can be very challenging for buyers.  You need an experienced and qualified agent like John Garrett to help you make the right choice. 

There are things a real estate agent, by law, CANNOT tell you when you are buying a home unless you have a signed buyers agency agreement. Things like:

How much you should offer on a home?

What price the seller will accept?

What terms are in your favor?

Why the seller is moving?

How long the property has been on the market?

Is this property a short sale or foreclosure?

Purchasing real estate is a complex transaction and in most cases the seller will be represented by an agent. Even if you are looking at new construction, a buyer broker costs you nothing yet has a lot to offer. Here’s a great article on how to interview a Lake of the Ozarks Buyer’s Agent.

Research by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS has shown that when a buyer’s representative is used, the prospective buyer found a home faster than consumers who did not use a buyer’s representative. At the Lake of the Ozarks, given our very large geographical area, the need for a buyer’s agent is even greater. In many cases, I, as a buyer broker can help you save money by showing you “Sold Comps” helping you to make a more informed initial offer on the property.  As your buyer broker my services include:

Evaluating your specific needs and wants, locating properties that fit those specifications.

Utilizing technology to your advantage to make sure it makes your buying process easier, not more confusing!

Coordinating showings – accompanying you on the showings, or previewing properties on your behalf.

Researching the selected properties to identify any problems or issues to help the buyer make an informed decision. Many Lake Areas have no planning and zoning, and my local real estate knowledge is invaluable.

Advising you on structuring an appropriate offer to purchase.

Negotiating the fairest purchase price on the most favorable terms that the market will permit on your behalf.

Helping secure appropriate financing for the selected property.

Providing you with a list of potential qualified vendors (e.g. appraiser, surveyor, inspectors, movers, attorneys, carpenters, etc.) if these services are needed.

Answering your questions, and getting answers for you. I always keep the lines of communication open with my clients.

Most importantly, the ability and willing to LISTEN TO YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS and find the best fit for you.

Clearly, by working with a buyer broker you receive a great deal of valuable services at no charge. At the end of the day, my job as your broker is to deliver results and you can take comfort in knowing that my interest are 100% aligned with yours. Since the seller is paying the commission, the worst agents cost you the same as the best, or so it might appear! Don’t make the wrong choice, because the bad or less experienced agent can cost you with their mistakes that hit your pocketbook, consume your time, add hassle and stress to your life. You have enough to worry, make sure your real estate purchase at the Lake is not one of them. Contact me today and you’ll quickly see the value I add to every transaction that I sign my name to.

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RE/Max Lake of the Ozarks recently held a real estate Symposium that featured pricing data from John Garrett.  The big surprise was how well the real estate market was doing, and that all all sectors saw price increase last year.  The second home market is somewhat immune to the current subprime fiasco, and as it was pointed out in our presentation, real estate is a local event, not a national trend.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the findings suggest different cycles for each of the sectors over the past two years.  “Investment-home sales declined sharply in 2006 as speculators disappeared, leaving the market to serious buyers, with the pattern continuing in 2007,” he said.  “Vacation-home sales rose to a new record in 2006 because there was a pent-up demand from buyers who couldn’t find a property as a result of tight supplies in preceding years.”  The great thing about the Lake of the Ozarks market is that we had very little participation from investors and speculators looking to ‘flip” property, and remained a retirement and second home market the last 5 years.  Not surprisingly, we are seeing a strong market that is weathering the current talk of a real estate “bubble”.

Luxury home sales of homes over $1,000,000 have increased from only 5 sales in 2003 to over 42 sales in 2007.  That is an increase of over 740% in that period, or an average of 148% per year!

Porto Cima saw over twenty three million dollars in waterfont homes sold in 2006.  The average price per square foot was $249.72, up 13% from 2005.  There were 20 waterfront homes sold through the MLS, so this was the first year the average sale in this area was for more than a million dollars. There were actually seven homes sold for over a million dollars, and three of those sold for over two million dollars.

The average size of these homes was 4720 sq ft, and the largest sale was 7500 sq ft.

If you have any questions about Porto Cima or buying or selling Lake of the Ozarks real estate, you can always contact John Garrett at 573-302-2320 or e-mail me for a fast response.

Found on the Shawnee Bend peninsula at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, Porto Cima combines 2,300 acres of rolling hills and native oak trees with a Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course and a meticulous plan to deliver one of the Midwest’s finest golfing communities. Today, Porto Cima (Italian for “hillside harbor”) thrives as a luxury waterfront community and one of the finest private clubs in the Midwest.

“On a scale of one to ten, this is as close to a ten – if there ever was a ten…” — Jack Nicklaus

As a Waterfront Golf Community, it rivals anything that can be found in the midwest.  The advanatge of having private ownership of the waterfront makes this a very unique chance to own at the premier lakefront golf community in the midwest.

If you have any questions about Porto Cima or buying or selling Lake of the Ozarks real estate, you can always contact John Garrett at 573-302-2320 or e-mail me for a fast response.

The most important step for a Lake of the Ozarks real estate buyer is to hire the best Buyer’s Broker in the area.  The next most important step for buying a Lake of the Ozarks home is to get a CLUE report.  CLUE stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. It is a comprehensive database of personal property information relating mainly to insurance claims on private property.  You can’t order a CLUE report on another property, however, I can assist you in getting one on a particular property.  If the property is a foreclosure for sale, you are on your own trying to find out the home’s history, and you must rely solely on the home inspector at that point.

Why is this important to see this report on a home before you buy at the Lake of the Ozarks?  Lake homes often sit unoccupied for long periods of time, and often over long cold winters.  When a pipe breaks or a leak develops at your primary home, the usual maximum amount of time before it is discovered is a few hours.   When this happens at a vacant home, it might be months before it is discovered, allowing for much more damage and a higher insurance claim.

A CLUE report contains information about either an insured or a property. The key information on the report is the claims history of the individual or the property. This section includes a list of all claims made in the last 5 to 7 years. The claim history report includes the date of the claim, the name of the insurance company involved, policy number, claim number, address, cause of loss, amounts paid, status of the claim, and the name of the insured and the claimant. The report also identifies parties that have received a copy of the report, typically over the most recent 2 years. It is important to note that the CLUE report details the “claim history” of a given consumer. Adverse information that is more than seven years old generally may not be reported.

You should, with the help of a knowledgeable buyer’s broker, want to verify this information against the Sellers Disclosure that is provided on the property to gauge a seller’s level of disclosure and honesty.  Another reason to verify this information is that the claims made by the seller can have an adverse effect on the buyer’s ability to get affordable insurance on the property.

I’d speculate that less than 1% of buyer’s agents at the Lake of the Ozarks recommend their clients get a CLUE report as part of the inspection process when buying a home.  Using a buyer’s agent doesn’t cost you anything, because the commission is paid by the seller, but it can sure save a lot of time, heartache, headaches, and money.  Call John Garrett today at 573-480-6420