Special offer

Atlantis, FL Real Estate News

By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 How To Calculate Real Estate Rates of ReturnsCalculation Reference Sheet Gross Operating Income (GOI) This is a calculation of the total potential monthly rental income (also known as gross rents or gross potential income). Remember if a vacancy reserve is not included in the expenses, it should be subtracted from the total potential rental income.Net Operating Income (NOI)This is a calculation of gross operating income (GOI) minus expenses                NOI = (GOI)-Operating Expenses             Cap Rate (Capitalization Rate)                       (NOI) divided by (Purchase Price) = Cap Rate            This a calculation of the yearly net operating Income (NOI) divided by the value, or the purchase price. Debt Service Ratio (DSR)This is a calculation of the NOI, divided by the debt s...
Comments 25
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
Market Minutes Ending For  The Week Of January 22, 2016   Global economic weakness and falling oil prices continue to pressure stocks and support bonds. Bond market improvement supports lower mortgage rates. Jobless claims rose to a six-month high last week but were still below the 300,000 mark. Some suggest this could be a loss of momentum for the labor market. Weakness in stocks and recent economic reports will likely be considered at the Fed's meeting next week. It is expected the Fed will leave policy rates unchanged.Home builders expect new home sales to continue to increase in 2016. New home sales rose almost 15% in 2015, peaking in November. Housing starts were down slightly in December, but were still strong. It was the 9th straight month that starts were above 1 million units, ...
Comments 2
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
Would You Market This Property Or Do Something Else?  In all of our Real Estate Careers, we either will be faced with a challenge or already have been given one. If you were faced with this type of listing what would you do?    A. Walk Away B. Refer It To Another Agent C. Co-List The Property D. Take on The Challenge E. Call Code Enforcement  If You were to decide to take the listing, what two things would be used to market this property if you had to sell as-is just like you see it.
Comments 12
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 22, 2016    Average rate on 30-year mortgage falls to 3.81%Falling oil and stock prices trump Fed's Dec. interest rate increase: The FRM fell for the third straight week as investors put more money into lower-risk bonds. Read more.Living trust best if heirs don't get alongReal estate Q&A: What's the best way to leave a home to adult children? A life estate deed is inexpensive, but a living trust may cut down on disagreements. Read more.Freddie Mac rolls out online resource for agentsThe online resource center offers agents info on affordable mortgage products, training, networking and customizable promotion tools, Freddie Mac says. Read more.Citizens hits milestone: less than 500,000 policiesThe Fla.-owned insurance compan...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 19, 2016  Storms strike SW Fla.: Realtors help during disasterSevere storms and tornados struck SW Fla. Sunday, and Florida Realtors DRF help is offered to members or associations that need it, says Pres. Matey Veissi. Read more.Homeownership not an option for some rentersIt may be cheaper to own than rent, but many renters can't make the leap as wages trail the recovery, rents eat up savings and credit scores still have dings. Read more.Global woes and sinking stocks don't mean recessionA plunge in stocks fueled by China fears and oil prices left investors alarmed. Some wondered if it signaled a recession. The answer, most analysts say, is no. Read more.Man gets life sentence for Ark. Realtor's deathA jury convicted a man...
Comments 4
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS FAIL TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON LENDING RATES Employment has a major effect on interest rates, and December’s numbers look spectacular. Payrolls soared 292,000, obliterating economist’s predictions. What's more, October and November payrolls were adjusted up a total of 50,000.  Interest rates were expected rise, but they didn’t. In fact, the rates on the 15 and 30 year fixed-rate offerings are being quoted near a two-month low. It seems that Macro events are holding rates down. China's markets have tanked to start 2016. The S&P 500 is down 6% year to date. And remember a few years ago when economists were prepping for life with $100 barrels of oil? Oil recently hit an 11-year low, with West Texas crude trading near $30/barrel. Commodities in general – oil, natural gas, met...
Comments 2
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
INFO THAT HITS US THIS WEEK OF JANUARY 18TH 2016 & BEYOND   There isn't too much to annoy us in the latest prognostications about what the housing market's performance might be in the year just entered. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) housing and economic forecast predicts the housing market might see 1 to 3% growth in overall sales in 2016.  The NAR estimates that existing home sales for 2015 will come in 6.5% ahead of 2014 and then hit 5.3 to 5.4 million units this year.  They forecast housing starts at 1.25 to 1.35 million units for 2016, as home building continues to strengthen. Price gains are expected to moderate, with median home prices up 4.0 to 5.0%. For 2016, Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group sees increased household income and job security helping th...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 18, 2016  Is rent-to-own a solution to the rental crisis?Potential buyers struggling with weak credit scores or inadequate downpayments could find it easier to become a homeowner under a rent-to-own program. Read more.More Americans say it's a good time to sellFannie Mae's Dec. housing survey found a 9% jump in the number of consumers who said their income was significantly higher than it was 12 months ago. Read more.Goldman Sachs to pay $5B in mortgage settlementThe payment settles federal and state probes of Goldman Sachs' role in selling toxic mortgages that led to the housing bubble and ensuing financial crisis. Read more.Activating the millennial first-time homebuyerMillennials pass baby boomers this year as America's...
Comments 4
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
Avoid At All Costs This Listing Presentation MistakeThe worst thing you can do during a listing presentation is to leave a bad impression. If you do, not only will the prospect likely not hire you, it could also hurt your good reputation! So, with that in mind, what’s the most common mistake that even the best sales associates sometimes make?Being late. Few things irk prospects more than waiting for a sales associate to show up for an appointment. It’s right up there with waiting on hold for customer service! If you think you’re going to be late, don’t risk having to deal with frustrated prospects when you arrive. Always call ahead, apologize, and let them know when you expect to be there. If you wait until after you arrive to say “Sorry I’m late!” it will come across as insincere — eve...
Comments 42
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily (011716) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 17, 2016    Florida Legislature passes comprehensive water billOne of Florida Realtors' top legislative priorities for 2016 is on the way to becoming law. It now needs only Gov. Scott's signature, which is expected. Read more.Average rate on 30-year mortgage falls to 3.92%Falling oil prices and stock turbulence continued to help homebuyers. Mortgage rates dropped again as investors put more money into U.S. bonds. Read more.Experts: Real estate tracking won't hurt marketThe U.S. move to identify high-end cash buyers in Miami and NYC won't have a big effect on Chinese sales, many say, because there are few questionable buyers. Read more.Construction wave to flood market with apartmentsOver the next three years, buil...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 The Color Trends of 2016 are In...  If you like to stay up to date on the latest in home design, you may be interested to hear the color trends predicted for 2016. From Benjamin Moore's Simply White to Behr's Ivory Keys, the leading color trend is white, which serves as a neutral backdrop for other dramatic elements. But before you go out and buy gallons of white, note that this year's on-trend whites have color and warmth to them. These subtle variations in tone make them the perfect accompaniment to other hot colors highlighted this year, so keep that in mind as you select accent colors. To update your space using the neutral white trend, take the following steps: Create a blank canvas -- Paint an entire room in your favorite warm white. Starting with a neutral background lets other ...
Comments 7
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 15, 2016  What is a title company referral? Fla. creates rulesThe Dept. of Financial Services created a roster of banned activities it considers a title company referral, such as listing ads or sponsoring an open house. Read more.RealtyTrac: Fla. a top foreclosure state in 2015Fla. held onto a top-tier foreclosure rank in 2015 (No. 2), but the state's total foreclosure activity declined even as it rose in 24 other states. For metros, Tampa ranked No. 3 nationally. Read more.Study: A 'bargain' isn't always a bargainIn 45% of markets studied, a listing that says the home is a "bargain," "deal" or "value" often has an asking price on par with other nearby homes. Read more.Why buyers and sellers shouldn't panicStocks have tak...
Comments 0
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The start of 2016 has been mostly a buzz-saw in the opposite direction  The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta estimates that fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) grew at just 0.7% on an annualized rate, down from a prior estimate of 1.3%. This is never good for housing. Lending activity has been sluggish in 2016, with purchase application activity down 15% compared to the prior two weeks, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data. There is some good news. Spending on new single-family homes has risen 9.3% year over year. Spending on multi-family homes has exploded, up 24.5% year over year. Housing construction and new-home sales are meaningful contributors to GDP growth. Mortgage rates should remain a back-burner issue, for now. Longer-term rates did drift slightly higher to e...
Comments 4
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 12, 2016  Apartment rents still skyrocketingApartment rents surged 4.6% in 2015 - the largest gain since the Great Recession. It's a good time to be a landlord but not a renter, one research firm says. Read more.College scholarships: Apply nowFlorida Realtors' 2016 Student Scholarship Program is now accepting applications - but hurry. The deadline to apply for $1,000-plus college money is March 7. Read more.Auction.com moves into transaction managementThe website that started out pushing distressed property will change its name, include more high quality listings and add user tools to organize the process. Read more.Citizens policyholders face multiple opt out noticesIf an owner covered by Fla.-owned Citizens wants to keep...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 11, 2016  7% of first-time homebuyers 55 or olderLast year, NAR calculated the median age of first-time homebuyers at 31, though almost one in 14 are 55-to-74. After age 75, however, it's less than 1%. Read more.'Internet of things' changing real estateTech advances - such as 3D printing, virtual decorating and enhanced security - are redefining the way buyers search for and rent property. Read more.Tax prep tips for 2015 tax returnsIt's a new year and a new tax season. Start off by assuming the worst - that you'll be audited. Read more.Online listing videos come alive with narrationYouTube's highly advanced speech recognition technology can help video home tours outshine others that rely on elevator music. Read more.Some ...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 What To Do When Settlement Dates Don’t Match Your Purchase If you want to sell your current property and purchase your next dream home, you might be concerned that the closing dates need to be on the same day. You might be worried about losing a property if the closing dates overlap, or being put out on the street if the dates are far apart! For the most part, these concerns are unfounded. Thousands of properties change hands every day and usually everything works out just fine. In fact, it’s amazing how often closing dates actually do match!But what happens if the closing date of the home you want to buy is days or weeks earlier than the closing date of your own property?Most lenders anticipate this situation and offer something called “Bridge Financing.” This is a special loan that a...
Comments 2
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
 Finding The Right Professionals Is The Key To 2016 If you’re considering buying a new home, one of your most important tasks is to find the right professionals to help you. You’ll need a good REALTOR® and possibly other professionals such as a real estate lawyer, contractor, cleaner, carpet installer, plumber, electrician and a moving company.   How do you find the right people to make your move go smoothly?First, start with professionals you already know in some way. You may already know someone – a contractor, for example – that you like and trust. If so, then it makes sense to talk to him or her about your plans. Also, consider those professionals who have taken the time to reach out to you by way of a visit, phone call or helpful newsletters (like this one). They’re demonstrating t...
Comments 0
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 9, 2016  One minority group is on a buying boomThe Asian American community has become the fastest-growing minority demographic in the country, and they have a widening stake in homeownership. Read more.Don't look stupid selling a smart homeAgents today must often explain listings' high-tech features, such demonstrating how to control lights, thermostats or appliances from a smartphone, tablet or home tech hub. Read more.Commercial RE: No reason yet to fear a bubbleThanks to the recession, a booming commercial market inevitably makes some people worry about bubbles, but solid economic drivers are pushing today's upswing. Read more.Any reason for concern about the Chinese economy?While China's economic policies boosted dema...
Comments 0
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now January 8, 2016   Survey: Strong 2016 expected for S. Fla. real estate Despite condo price increases and international buyers' economic woes, most experts predict a 2016 S. Fla. real estate market that's at least as strong as 2015. Read more.Sadowski Coalition: Fully fund housingA coalition of 30 groups that includes Florida Realtors issued a report that shows the economic benefit of Fla. housing programs if the Fla. Legislature fully funds all state and local housing trust funds. Read more.Average rate on 30-year mortgage slips to 3.97%The momentary FRM increase above 4% didn't last long, and the Fed's recent interest rate hike doesn't seem to have hurt homebuyers so far. Read more.All condo owners must help pay for new roofReal ...
Comments 1
By Winston Heverly, GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA
(Coldwell Banker Access Realty)
The Daily (010716) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   The housing recovery's 'missing link'Many potential first-time buyers aren't ready yet, but they could jump in quickly and cause a market boom as current owners realize they can now move up. Read more.Fla. Insurance Commissioner stepping downKevin McCarty steps down May 2. Since 2003, he has influenced Fla. property insurance rates and the program to shrink Fla.-owned Citizens Ins. A replacement has not been named. Read more.Report: Little chance of a home price declineThe likelihood that a U.S. home will drop in value over the next two years is only 6% - and most of the risk is in oil-dependent metros, such as some in Texas. Read more.Opinions about ownership less 'rich' after recessionHomeownership once made people fe...
Comments 0
Explore Atlantis, FL
Atlantis, FL Real Estate Professionals