What else is hot?

Interestingly, about 30% of the most wanted listings are properties in the sunshine state despite the fact that it is ranked as one of the leading states in foreclosures and oversupply of properties for sale. But what is the apparent requirement for a FL property to be desired? It is proximity to the beach. Nearly all most wanted Florida homes are either ocean view or in short distance to the beach. Not many Disney area or inland homes are on the list.

 

Income. Perhaps given the present state of the world economy and high unemployment rates across much of the US, potential to derive income is one of the most frequently requested feature. Combined with a relatively low supply of multifamily and commercial real estate listings on our site, income producing properties tend to be in great demand. For months, the number one most wanted property was a St Petersburg, FL apartment building which was successfully traded in May 2009 and is now off the site. Below are two multifamily properties with at least 20 proposals to trade for each.

$42K GROSS INCOME!!! WONDERFUL 4-PLEX OPPORTUNITY $425,000 Florida > Clearwater > Homes for trade Great unique 4-plex property in convenient, desireable Skycrest in Clearwater FL. Wonderful opportunity to live on site in the... More Info Will swap for: Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, > Looking for a minimum of 2 bedroom, 2 bath single family home, condo, or townhouse. Willing to trade up or down, add cash &/or... More Info

STEPS TO BEACH 4 UNITS, 2 DUPLEXES ON 3 LOTS - $55,000 PER YEAR INCOME! $599,000 featured Florida > Saint Augustine Beach > Multifamily or Commercial for trade ASSUMABLE $240K 23 YEAR PRIVATE LOAN AT 5% FIXED RATE: Only 300 yards to the beach, four 2BR 1BA units currently used as rentals.... More Info Will swap for: California, Oregon, > open to all offers in CA or OR, can take a luxury car as trade in or down payment, can swap for a residential property of lesser... More Info

 

 

...and check out this gem with advertised $85K potential:

SHOWPLACE PROPERTY EARNS 85,000 AND MORE PER YEAR! LIVE HERE IN WINTER AND LET $1,100,000 Texas > Bulverde > Homes for trade This incredible estate vacation home will pay for itself! Has been rented last two years as high end vacation rental. Last... More Info Will swap for: Any State, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, British Columbia, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Italy, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, > Looking for scenic acreage property with or without home in New Mexico, Colorado, Arkansas, the Carolinas, Florida, Utah,... More Info

 

 

 

Apparently, most property owners are so fed up with paying taxes, insurance, and property maintenance costs on their real estate that they are deciding in great numbers to exchange for just about anything but real estate. "Houses on wheels" (as my 3-year old calls them) indeed represent about 30 percent of our most wanted assets with an average of 28 public and private swap proposals received.

 

A word of caution about owning an RV or a boat is that most of the ownership costs are hidden in depreciation. If real estate prices can fluctuate up and down based on general economic and local market conditions, "houses on wheels" will almost never appreciate. In addition to unfavorable economic conditions and public's inability to travel as a result, RV depreciation is influenced by gas prices and physical dilapidation of the vehicle after a certain age. So our advice is: unless you plan to travel or sail extensively in the near future and have the means to hold the asset for a long time with little or no financing required, stay away from "houses on wheels" as they will likely to be even harder to sell when the economy hits the bottom. One can always plant orange or palm trees and derive some income even from land in Florida, but realizing any income from an RV is a whole different story.

 

In general, states that are "not hot" temperature-wise do not hit our most wanted list either. Although there are exceptions, such as very unusual, waterfront, or mountain view properties with personality.

 

Take a look at this impressive Colorado home with 38 combined interested parties:

COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOME $359,000 Colorado > Buena Vista > Homes for trade 5/26/09: Just listed home with Realtor at $359,000.00. Was told at this price we are below true market value. Will still consider...More Info Will swap for: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, > Single family home, farm/ranch with acreage of lesser value, preferably under $250K but may consider more for the right...More Info

 

...or this North Caroline Outer Banks waterfront home with nearly 50 trade proposals (including private):

NC OUTER BANKS $529,000 North Carolina > Frisco > Homes for trade Practically surrounded by water,this cottage hs been completely renovated from ground up. Unobstructed views of the Pamlico sound... More Info Will swap for: Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Bahamas, Georgia, Virgin Islands, > open to all... More Info

 

 

Yes and no. It depends greatly on the proximity to the United States. Properties in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Canada do show some interest while trading across the Atlantic is not as popular yet. Of all European countries, Spain, Italy, and France lead the way. Take a look at this multimillion dollar Italian estate with more than a handful of swap proposals:

VILLA MARIA - ITALY $1,600,000 Italy > Pray > Homes for trade This immaculately restored 1800's Italian Villa has been updated to today's standards of comfort while maintaining its classic...More Info Will swap for: Any State, > open to all offers in the... More Info

 

 

As mentioned earlier most recent trades are now posted at http://goswap.org/traded

 

For those of you who have sold or traded, simply login and click on My account > edit listing > modify listing > change listing status to pending, traded, or sold and click update. You will no longer receive swap proposals and your listing will appear in our traded section omitting seller's personal information. We also encourage everyone to send us an email with your trade story as this will help other skeptical sellers.

 

If you have a swap brewing and have specific questions on how to handle it, please ask on our forums. We have several active participants and pros on the site who will help. We reserve personal emails for emergencies only, while general questions can be answered on the forums only where you can also discuss this article.