What do you do when your real estate agent is on vacation?

I received a call recently from someone researching homes for sale in Brevard County, Florida.  As always I asked the key question before proceeding very far into the conversation.

The question?  "Are you currently working with a real estate agent in your search?"

Their response? "Yes, but our agent is on vacation so we are taking the time to do some research until she returns next week."

After explaining my reasons I referred the caller back to her real estate agent's brokerage.

Why did I not run out and help the caller?  A Realtor®-client relationship is one business arrangement in which another agent should never interject them self or interfere in any way.

Real estate agents are like other folks - vacations happen, family events occur, even illness rears its ugly head at times.  In cases like this a real estate agent should have a back up plan.

In an ideal situation the customer can take the time out from the active search.  But this is not usually possible unless they are out of town buyers.  One option is a plan may be for another real estate agent to cover their client needs temporarily.

An option I prefer is to refer the customer to another real estate agent I trust to handle the customer needs.

If your real estate agent is not available hopefully you were given advance notice with instructions in the event you need help.  If your agent can't be reached I recommend you call your agent's office and speak with their broker-owner.  The broker owner will take whatever action is necessary to meet your needs.

After all, you are a customer of the broker.

Buying on "promised" growth is not a good thing...

I seem to run into all sorts of questions these days about growth, new developments and property restrictions.

As a rule I answer these inquiries with "just the facts."

Just yesterday I received a call from an out of area person inquiring about the local Viera  55+ community of Heritage Isle.

Apparently they had purchased in a nice area (somewhere else in Florida) a couple of years ago with the understanding growth was coming.  Oh, they love the community but without local restaurants and shopping the long drives are not what they were looking for in retirement they are not happy.


I explained Viera is a planned unit development. 

It is a master planned community with planned growth and restrictions within the development.

There have been new shopping facilities like The Avenues Viera built and thriving.  There is a new hospital (Viera Hospital) and nearby medical facilities.

There are golf course nearby like Duran Golf Course.  There are plenty of restaurants and more being constructed even now.  There is easy access to I-95 and nearby tourist spots in Orlando.  Port Canaveral is less than a half hour away.  The beaches are nearby as well.  There are new schools like Viera High School.  There is minor league baseball.

And Viera continues to grow.


It seems many of the inquiries come from out of area folks who want to move to a new area "like Viera" in Brevard County, Florida.  But many want it without homeowner associations and the inevitable "rules."

Unfortunately, that is much like asking for cheesecake with zero calories.

If you are considering a move to central Florida, let me introduce you to the Viera area!  Call me at 321-693-3850 or email me.

 

Selling Your Brevard County, Florida Home: Help me sell your home, please!

It is always nice to work with clients who know what they are looking for in their next home.  Of course I refine their desires even further with targeted questions.

With computerized MLS systems it is easy to screen a buyer’s desired characteristics and weed through thousands of listings, right?

It should be relatively easy to set up an automated search with the parameters defined and then let the system work for you, right?

Finding the ideal candidate properties still requires a buyer’s real estate agent do additional sifting through many “potentials.”  Sometimes the listings turn out to have incorrect data entered which causes it to be selected.

And then there are times when the listing agent fails to provide data in available fields within the MLS system that causes the listing to not show up.

One of the easiest steps to help sell your home is to help me find it.  Time is always in short supply.  The ability to efficiently search the MLS will help me sell your home. 

{Underlying message - review your agent's marketing materials.}

Why are "Walk Through Inspections" important?

I had a buyer "walk through" of one of my listings last week.  It was not a typical walk through as the purchaser is an investor.  A quick walk through, a few photos of the interior and exterior and the company representative was gone....maybe five minutes after he arrived.

My seller and I knew this walk through was not the typical buyer walk through.

Most buyers will check every nook and cranny for potential problems.

They want to make sure the property is clean and free of discarded "stuff."  They flush toilets, run faucets, look under sinks for leaks, make sure all appliances are present as listed in the contract.  If there were repairs to be addressed after the inspection they want to check those. (Some inspectors will come back to verify repairs were done, check with your inspector.)

With a major financial commitment like a house or condo purchase the walk through is critical.

Further, I encourage a similar walk through by tenants when they take possession of a property with the addition of photos taken or even a video with a date stamp. (The same upon move out as well.) 

Walk through inspections are important because you never know!

Who are you listening to when it comes to buying or selling your Brevard County, Florida home?

Have you ever made a passing comment about buying a car, a house or even a new TV and then received advice from seemingly everyone about what (or where) to buy?   

Regardless of topic, advice seems to flow pretty freely from family and friends.

Furthermore, advice from all sorts of people is easily available on the Internet.  Of course any anonymous endorsements should be viewed with caution. Reminds me a bit of the TV commercial for an auto insurance company where the girl says "it has to be true, its on the Internet."  

The amount of weight all this advice carries will vary based on the source.  When it comes to buying or selling a house or condo I suggest this bit of advice.

• Find a mortgage loan officer who is easily accessible, responsive and is familiar with the local real estate market.  The loan officer is not necessarily going to know the specifics of the market but should have a general idea of what is available and prices.
• Listen to your real estate agent.  Friends, family, the guy at the shop, the lady who does your hair...all nice people I am sure.  But do they really know the ins and outs of the the local real estate market?

Ready to buy a home in Brevard County, Florida?  Let me help you, please.

Need information on mortgages in Brevard County, Florida?   I will gladly provide you with   a few resources for you to interview.