I threw it in the trash

When someone is thinking about selling their home more often than not they call a real estate agent, or two, or three.  They then proceed to interview these agents and based upon various different factors they choose the one that they want to work with.  Simple enough right?

Last week I found myself in just such a situation.  I was agent #4!  So by the time I rolled around you can imagine they they had heard it all.  Well.......actually I didn't have to imagine it because they told me "We've heard it all!"

So the challenge was how to differentiate myself and show these folks that I knew something that the others didn't, that "something" that would assure them that I was the best person to get the job done.

I proceeded to have them sit down at the kitchen table.  I then asked where the garbage can was, took all of my recent sales data (which I wasn't planning to use anyway), and threw all of the papers in the trash!  You can imagine the puzzled look on their face...

To make a long story short, the value of your home as nothing to do with what another home sold for six months ago, three months ago, or even yesterday.  The true market value of a home is determined by examining the delicate dance of supply and demand, determining what buyers are not willing to pay, and employing a proactive positioning strategy.  And THAT has nothing to do with past sales.
And what about the results:  3 offers in less than a week at full price!  Congratulations Mr. Seller!

The other foreclosure shoe will not drop

News > US foreclosure activity hits five year low

Come one come all!

http://db.tt/r5LU2sHO
great value!

A seller's market indeed

Things are certainly moving in a positive direction in South Florida's real estate market.  My challenge now is simply a lack of housing inventory-plenty of buyers and not enough houses!

Thought You'd be Interested

Multiple offers possible in tight housing market, experts say

My biggest daily challenge lies in getting the sellers that extend me the privilege of bringing their homes to market to price them realistically.  Here's further proof of the results that can be had by pricing aggressively.

Multiple offers possible in tight housing market, experts say

Check out this open house this Saturday!

Thought You'd be Interested

Open house in the heart of Miami Lakes on Saturday 1-4 PM

Open house in the heart of Miami Lakes on Saturday 1-4 PM

FHFA: Home prices rose 0.8% in May

Even factoring out the condo appreciation, which is coindcidentally off the charts, home prices are still on a positive roll!

FHFA: Home prices rose 0.8% in May

Where are the houses?

I was recently at our office meeting and I just can't believe how many of my colleagues are working with buyers and are frustrated because they have no homes to put them in! What a great time to sell....!!!

The magic number 6

What is it?  The magic number 6 or course!  It represents the months of housing inventory that we like to see.  Why?  Because historically speaking, 6 months of inventory represents a balanced market; one in which the forces of supply and demand are once again in " predictable equilibrium"(see prior post).  It represents a market where, generally speaking, prices are stable.  The way we derive the number is by dividing the number of homes on the market in a given area by the number of homes that are selling in a given month.  And as a general rule any number above 6 is a depreciating market and any number below six is an appreciating one.  It's also noteworthy that the farther away from 6 we get, the crazier the market conditions are.  Right now, in Miami-Dade County we have about 4.5 months of inventory, and the bidding wars have begun!

A grand experiment...1776

The United States of America is, and continues to be, the grandest experiment of planet earth.  In 1776, nothing like what the ragtag collection of would-be revolutionaries were looking to create had yet to conceived anywhere on the planet.  What a ridiculous idea...a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.  Yet those first few forward thinking courageous trailblazers would set forth a series of events that would inevitably change each and every single American's life from that point forward.  And countless numbers of them would make the ultimate sacrifice for it!

Whether we realize it or not, we are both privileged and tasked with the continuation of this grand experiment, which in historical global context, is still in its infancy.  Our nation has been challenged many times by events and circumstances far worse then our current economic, social, and seemingly insurmountable political battles would have us believe.  And through it all, our Grand Experiment has always prevailed.

So rest assured my fellow Americans, that as we pause on this Independence Day to give thanks to those who found the courage to initiate our Grand Experiment; that the best days of The United States of America are indeed ahead of us! 

time to get off the fence Amigos!

NAR: Pending sales at two-year high

Country Club of Miami.wmv golf anyone???

HOT HOT HOT!!!

If this isn't a seller's market I don't know what is.  Note the homes on the market steadily decreasing while the pending sales are increasing.  And how about the fact that home sellers are getting over 90% of their asking prices?  Miami-Dade County real estate is once again HOT!

Dade County - Market Trend

http://coldwellbanker.net/marketTrend/fla/dade.html

NAR: International sales continue to climb in U.S. market

This phenomena is certainly allowing sellers to get more money for their homes...
NAR: International sales continue to climb in U.S. market

why sell now?

Some of the would-be sellers that I regularly consult  with wonder whether now is a good time to sell their homes.  Please read this article and then factor in that we're presently in the midst of the peak buying season, PLUS the fact that interest rates are at historic lows.  Could now be the right time for you to make a move?

Spring revival for America's housing market

Also, let's not forget that we have less than 6 months of housing inventory!

The Velocity of Money

The velocity of money is a term used by economists to describe the speed at which money makes its way through our economy. During boom times money moves quickly through the system as it's spurred on by consumer spending and investment, and in recessionary times it's velocity is diminished.

Why should you care?

Well, if you've been thinking about buying a home, then the "velocity of money" should be of concern to you. The Federal Reserve uses interest rates to control the money supply flowing throughout the system; low rates=more money in the system, and higher rates=less money in the system. In order to encourage borrowing, one tool that the Fed has is to lower the discount rate(the rate at which banks borrow money from the Fed). The net result is more borrowing, subsequently contributing to an increase in the "velocity of money".

Historically speaking, this monetary strategy has been used to encourage the country out of a recessionary cycle. However, over playing this card can be have unintended negative consequences. In the 1970's the increased "velocity of money" netted a 13% increase in the money supply, and interest rates skyrocketed to as high as 20%! Fast forward to 2009. In the hopes of increasing the velocity of money the Federal Reserve has exponentially increased the supply of money compared to the net increase in the 70's; I've heard some estimates as high as a 100% increase in money supply over a 12 month period! Now I'm not an economist or financial guru; I'm simply taking a historical example, looking at what we're doing today, and extrapolating a possible end result; HIGHER INTEREST RATES.

In short, higher rates mean less buying power, higher mortgage payments, and more difficulty in securing financng. So as you ponder whether to take the plunge or not, remember that the 'velocity of money"can put a real damper on you future plans. :(

On the comeback trail!

10 signs Miami-Dade’s economy is on the upswing - Business - MiamiHerald.com

Views on home ownership

Despite slow job growth, consumers feel even better about ownership

Home sellers staying after deals close

This is certainly a positive sign for South Florida's housing market.  Boy do we need more inventory out there!

Home sellers staying after deals close

Jobs outlook for 2012

AP survey: Steady job gains to sustain U.S. recovery

5 real estate assumptions to rethink

5 real estate assumptions to rethink

Back on the market!

This one's up for grabs again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAhAbRDEnpk&list=UUIp54dgqzM2IoGCiUx2jfiw&index=7&feature=plcp

By gone days of low ball offers

Great news for Florida!

Daily Real Estate News

Clean green FREE electricity

Please feel free to contact me about building one of these. I'll gladly guide you on how to do it!

Thanks for watching...

Are we doing this again? CAUTION my friends

Start your engines - m.NYPOST.com

real estate on cloud nine....for good!

Change is hard. Change can be complicated. Human nature resists change. Yet change is the only constant in our lives, and it's inevitable. One such change is the shift to cloud computing. "The Cloud" as it's often referred to is the process of using remote servers to store, manage, process, and share data. And The Cloud is changing the real estate transaction like nothing else before it. In a typical real estate transaction we have multiple parties (buyers, sellers, lenders, title companies, lawyers, appraisers, etc.) that need access to the paperwork therein. And what we normally do is either fax (sooo 1995!) or email the documents as large attachments that clog up people's hard drive space and slow down the Internet for everybody.

The Cloud is a clever solution to what most in my industry have yet to realize is a problem. It's clever because it's efficient. What if instead of sending 6 parties attachment laden emails or illegible faxes I gave everyone access to the documents on a secure server? EUREKA! I can now almost run my business from anywhere via my smart phone.

Thankfully, cloud computing is now available to the masses from services like Dropbox, Google, or if you're buying or selling a home with Coldwell Banker we use Homebase. More often than not, taking your business to the clouds is a time saver, a business enhancer, and a customer service home run.

So get on the cloud!

On the rebound

U.S. Housing Looks Ready to Rebound - Barrons.com

warehouse anyone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_VlxwbT3Ws

A shot of adrenaline for Florida!

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=4&id=273173

Blowing my own horn...

Thank you for your faith and trust in me to handle your real estate needs. It's an honor and a privilege.

do it NOW!

Windows of opportunity of often seen through the rear view mirror. "I should have done this. Why didn't I buy that?" Why didn't I sell my house in 2005? You get the idea. At times, we become so preoccupied with these closed windows that we neglect the open ones that are right in front of us. Such is the case with interest rates. In short, if you're thinking about buying, do it NOW as these historically low rates won't be around forever. And if you're thinking about selling do it NOW because there are plenty of buyers out there that are taking advantage of these low rates and I simply don't have enough houses to put them in!

tough love for home sellers

In a way, I love the home sellers that grant me the privilege to guide them through such important transitions in their lives. If fact, I love them enough that I sometimes have to beat them up a little; tough love if you will.

Any of my colleagues can certainly attest to the fact that we simply have more prospective buyers than available properties for them. Sounds like a farce, right? After all, you've had your home on the market for months with agent Joe Smith without a single offer. Where are all of these alleged buyers?, you might be thinking. "And don't tell me that I'm overpriced!" Well.....maybe you are and maybe you're not. But rest assured that in a commodity market such as real estate, if you have your home on the market (especially in Miami Lakes!) and it's simply not selling it's because of one thing, and one thing only: There is NO perception of value for your property. Furthermore, perception of value has nothing to do with condition, upgrades, location, amenities, or other "stuff". Simply put, the value proposition that you're making to the prospective buyer pool is being overlooked, and passed up for other more attractive value propositions.

Your neighborhood is selling. Your competition is moving on with their lives and taking advantage of the "low prices" and "low interest rates". So what's holding you back Mr. Seller?

While it's difficult to pinpoint the problem or suggest a solution without knowing the particulars of a situation, one can be absolutely certain that market conditions have nothing to do with it.

working with Carlos...

client testimonial...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e44my393vX8&list=UUIp54dgqzM2IoGCiUx2jfiw&index=2&feature=plcp

thank you for viewing and for your support.

Kiss em goodbye!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kiss-these-10-once-popular-home-features-goodbye.html

CASH incentives for short sales

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=2&id=271801

thinking about selling?

thinking about selling?

The 25 billion dollar drop in the bucket

Last week the president announced the long awaited 'mortgage settlement' in which 49 states (minus Oklahoma) will be participating in. Essentially 5 of the major banks will be given cold hard cash to help them "make amends" for their past misgivings and trespasses. For starters, the program will provide up to $2000.00 for homeowners that were expeditiously foreclosed on using so called robosigning techniques and practices. Really?; a whole two grand? What consolation is this when you've lost your home?

In addition to this a good chunk of the settlement will be used for a combination of modifications, rate reductions, and principle reductions. While for the fortunate homeowner that happens to qualify for any of these remediations, this could be the saving grace that saves their home, their finances or even their family; the fact of the matter is that when all is said and done only 1 in 10 will be helped. And while any assistance to responsible homeowners and/or victims of questionable foreclosure practices in certainly welcome, we must realize that a healthy housing market is an absolutely essential component of our broader economic recovery. In this age of austerity, spending freezes, and well-justified concerns over trillion dollar deficits I can certainly understand the hesitation to "go big". Yet going big is just what the severity of our circumstances requires at this time. If only our politicians would get out of the way...

A 3.8 Percent “Sales Tax” on Your Home?

A 3.8 Percent “Sales Tax” on Your Home?

nice home

Here's an awesome property that was just brought to market by a colleague:

http://tours.southfloridavirtualtour.com/public/vtour/display/38710?idx=1

The asking price is $900,000 fully furnished...

Here's a beautiful home that I just brought to market

This home is by far one of the best examples of pride of ownership that I've ever seen. Check it out!

Thank you

I'm proud to say that a few weeks ago my blog has hit what for me is a big mile post; 10,000 hits! So it's with with humility and gratitude that I thank you, my readers. This blog has allowed me to engage prospective buyers and sellers or real estate, and in the process has sometimes served as a vehicle to bring the two together.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)