Thursday, October 27, 2011

Halloween Horror Stories

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Monday, October 24, 2011

A Real Estate Fairy Tale in Brevard County, Florida

The Brevard County, Florida real estate market is good but the trend of declining prices may be coming to an end.   No one knows for sure although inventory is shrinking so demand may stabilize the prices.

Still I find it amazing how many contacts I receive from people who want to buy or sell with strings attached...

I have talked with potential sellers who "will sell" if I get XXX (a ridiculous amount).

Also, just this morning I traded emails with an interested out of town buyer who "will buy" for the right price (want we all!).  The catch here was they wanted a castle for the price of a thatched hut!

Of course we do not really have castles in Brevard County but we do have thatched huts - usually near a tiki bar over on Cocoa Beach!

The Brevard County, Florida real estate market is very attractive - call me for free listings.


Sunday, October 23, 2011

Selling Your Brevard County Home: Choosing Your Brevard County, Florida Real Estate Agent.

Fired before hired... I have had that happen to me.

No, it is not one of those hit the road moments but rather when the prospect and I both realize it just is not going to work.

Sometimes it is while discussing the Brevard County, Florida real estate market with a buyer prospect (are you a qualified buyer?).

I have had it happen more than a few times over the years with sellers, particularly in the Viera and Suntree areas.  (Are you a motivated enough to sell your home in a buyer’s market?)

Selling your home is work - for both the you and your real estate agent.  It takes motivation.
A real estate agent, no matter how good, can not motivate a seller.

It is not than I am an overly selective real estate agent but why shouldn't I be choosy about my clients?  It is my reputation.  It is my livelihood.

Call me when you are ready to sell your Brevard County home!

It is my commitment to exceed client expectations.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Free Market Analysis, Free Air, Free Brake Inspection...Free? Yeah, right!

Free is good. 

Free?  Yeah, right!

Skepticism abounds when we see or hear "Free!"  

So when I offer Free Market Analysis for Viera Home Owners or Free Market Analysis for Rockledge Home Owners or... well, you get the picture.

We learned a long time ago that there is always a motive somewhere.  I will be honest with you about my offer for a Free Market Analysis for Brevard County sellers.

There is no cost to you at all.   But, if you decide to sell your Viera, Rockledge or Suntree home, I ask only to be able to show you what I can do for you!  That is simple.  Email your information to me and I will provide the report - no phone calls, no hassle.

If you want to follow up more, you contact me.  Please read my blog Florida Homes For Sale!


Monday, October 10, 2011

September 2011 Residential Real Estate Performance Brevard County, Florida

Based on data in the Brevard MLS system as of today these are September 2011 residential sales for Brevard County Florida with the previous month's data (August 2011) as well.
  • Residential units sold - 518  (610)
  • Average Selling Price - $138,726 ($154,468)
  • List/Sell Ratio - 94% (93%) 
  • Median Selling Price - $106,625 ($100,500) 
  • Average Days on Market - 118 (119)

More to selling than packaging!

Regardless of what you are selling the need for appropriate packaging is one of the universal axioms of marketing

Anyone getting ready to sell their home will be met with the same words from any savvy Realtor® – curb appeal.

But, there is one thing that will always trump packaging – regardless of how nice something looks the value must be recognizable.

I took yesterday at a Melbourne, Florida Big Lots store. I wonder if they noticed the lack of value…this customer did.

Two of the same bottles packaged together for $7 or individually $3...volume discount?



When you are ready to buy or sell a home in Brevard County, Florida, call me!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Keep Your Home Sale from Falling Apart

Keep Your Home Sale from Falling Apart

Published: March 30, 2010
After finding a buyer, all you have to do to make it to closing is to avoid these five traps.

Mistake #1: Ignore contingencies

If your contract requires you to do something before the sale, do it. If the buyers make the sale contingent on certain repairs, don’t do cheap patch-jobs and expect the buyers not to notice the fixes weren’t done properly.

Mistake #2: Don’t bother to fix things that break

The last thing any seller needs is for the buyers to notice on the pre-closing walk-through that the home isn’t in the same condition as when they made their offer. When things fall apart in a home about to be purchased, sellers must make the repairs. If the furnace fails, get a professional to fix it, and inform the buyers that the work was done. When you fail to maintain the home, the buyers may lose confidence in your integrity and the condition of the home and back out of the sale.

Mistake #3: Get lax about deadlines

Treat deadlines as sacrosanct. If you have three days to accept or reject the home inspection, make your decision within three days. If you’re selling, move out a few days early, so you can turn over the keys at closing.

Mistake #4: Refuse to negotiate any further

Once you’ve negotiated a price, it’s natural to calculate how much you’ll walk away with from the closing table. However, problems uncovered during inspections will have to be fixed. The appraisal may come in at a price below what the buyers offered to pay. Be prepared to negotiate with the buyers over these bottom-line-influencing issues.

Mistake #5: Hide liens from buyers

Did you neglect to mention that Uncle Sam has placed a tax lien on your home or you owe six months of homeowners association fees? The title search is going to turn up any liens filed on your house. To sell your house, you have to pay off the lien (or get the borrower to agree to pay it off). If you can do that with the sales proceeds, great. If not, the sale isn’t going to close.

More from HouseLogic

How maintenance adds to home values

Reducing closing stress

Other web resources

More on calculating closing costs

More on the closing process

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who wanted a successful closing on a Wisconsin property so bad that she probably made her agent rethink going into real estate. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.