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Buying the Beach REAL ESTATE | PROPERTIES | FOR SALE

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Jacqui Luberto of Realty ONE Group Emerald Coast has all the real estate answers

YOU CAN SEND YOUR REAL ESTATE QUESTIONS TO US AND we will “Ask Jacqui!” Jacqui Luberto is the owner and Broker of Realty ONE Group Emerald Coast and has a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience to share! Send your questions for Jacqui to admin@destinflorida.com. ▲ About Jacqui Come find your coastalcharmed life with me! Born and raised with my toes deep in the sugar-white sands of the Emerald Coast and with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and more than 20 years experience in business and marketing, I’ve gained valuable insight when it comes to representing both buyers and sellers in the area. As a military wife, I am familiar with the lifestyle and nuances faced by our military men and women. My firsthand knowledge of military moves will help ease the tension and make your move seamless. Let me show you how stress free your real estate transaction can be when you work with a true professional. And as the Broker and owner of Realty ONE Group Emerald Coast, not only can I help you find the right home, I can help you find the right career!

Q: Do you think it is still a good idea

to be buying real estate in Destin with interest rates on the rise?

A: Yes, I absolutely do. We will always see fluctuations in pricing of any item, housing or otherwise, but the long-term gain in real estate is historically one of the best investments you can make. Whether for personal use or as a passive income stream, ownership in real estate is less volatile than most other types of investment because of its lack of liquidity. And as Mark Twain and Jordan Davis have said, “buy dirt — they’re not making anymore of it,” paraphrased of course!

Q: With the prices of real estate

going up, is it still possible to buy an investment property in Destin and make money off of it?

A: That’s a great question with a multifaceted answer. As referenced in the prior question, real estate is a good investment for the longterm hold. It is great when you can find a property to make money starting today, but that is not always possible. A lot of investors want to find a positive cash flow, day one, but that can be difficult to find when the housing prices have increased rapidly, rental rates are increasing at a different pace and mortgage interest rates are also increasing but at a different pace as well. As with most financial data, we have to deal with lagging indicators, so I tend to use historical data mixed with current events and a healthy sprinkle of experience. We can expect rates to soften in the future and Adjusted Rate Mortgages (ARMs) are a great option right now as well. So all of that to say, yes, we can still find properties that make money if the mix is right!

Q: If I was wanting to move to

Destin, what areas do you suggest moving to?

A: The easiest way to answer this is with a question that I often ask when people are moving to the area — consider this scenario: “It’s 5 p.m. on a random Tuesday. You’ve just gotten off work and you’re ready for the next step in your day. What do you see yourself doing?” Where you should focus your home buying attention depends on if you’re going for a 5k run, playing 9 holes, or enjoying happy hour! Reverse engineering your lifestyle is the perfect way to decide the best location!

We have a long way to go to get home values in a market deficit. The market is obviously softening but it’s still very strong in our area due to the diversity of properties available.

Q: Do you think we will see another

real estate crash in the near future?

A: The only crash I’m worried about is the one written and sung by Dave Matthews — what a great song! Seriously though, so many of us have heard, ad nauseam, about the housing market crash of 2007–08. The horribly infamous event was so complex that it really is almost flippant — and, dare I say, disrespectful — to say it’s happening again. There are so many factors that lead to the 2007–08 situation and none of those are really at play anymore due to banking regulations and federal government intervention. There has been a larger than anticipated increase in housing prices since 2020 due to unprecedented demand. How will that affect the future housing market going forward from here? Honestly, no one knows. We’ve never had a global pandemic like COVID-19, so we’re all watching and learning at the same time. Here is what we do know: From 2007–19, in the Destin Area, Okaloosa county specifically, the average home price increase was 7% year over year. Once the pandemic started, our average increase of real property from 2019–20 and 2020–21 was over 20%, respectively! We obviously need to reset. It was too much, too fast. But we have a long way to go to get home values in a market deficit. The market is obviously softening but it’s still very strong in our area due to the diversity of properties available.

Q: I am interested in selling my

home in Destin, how do I go about pricing it with all the recent fluctuations?

A: Just call me, I’ll show you! The market changes day to day, so if you told me you wanted to sell your home in December that would be a different conversation than one that we would have if you’re listing in June. Also, importantly, are we listing an investment property or a single family home? There are many variables that go into pricing a home, and you need a professional to help. I work with, and train, 165 of the best real estate agents, covering Pensacola to Panama City! We know our market well and will help and sellers be on the cutting edge of current data trends.

QUESTIONS

For any other questions for your real estate needs, contact Jacqui here: JACQUI LUBERTO | REALTY ONE GROUP EMERALD COAST | (850) 842-3211