Do You Ask All The Right Questions??? The old saying ask and thy shall receive has stood the test of time. In the real estate market, I like to give the answers before they are asked. By doing so you are educating your prospect, getting and keeping them engaged in the process. In the end giving enough information will create a comfortable client. It will also open the door to a smoother transaction of trust & confidence through the process.  10/22/2016

 Would You Take a 30k Listing??? It seems life is made up of a few home runs and a lot of doubles and singles. Case in point is a blog I read that mentioned a lot of real estate that is priced in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. For me I just closed on a place for $38,000. We still do work on a percentage right? Ouch. I’m not saying make it a practice, but one happy customer should lead you to another. In my case this sale turned into 20 transactions and still counting well over 2 million in sales volume.  What story do you have to tell.   10/22/2016

  The Winner's Circle When It Comes To Multiple Bids  Winner’s Circle is really small when it comes to the bidding wars of multiple offers. I have my own opinions, but listed below may be the keys to unlock the mystery, to get your offer accepted.   1. sizable down payment of at least 10%.2. Find out if you can where the seller is moving to.3. Do the sellers have pets or other obstacles4. Write a fast or no inspection period5. Write a personal letter to the seller.  10/22/2016

An Alternative Mortgage Product for your Palm Beach HomeThere is an Asset for Income feature on loan products that can help your potential home buyer qualify. It works when someone is heavy on assets but light on income. This can act as a little ‘nudge’ to help a good solid deal done.   Personal liquid assets after closing may be used to add supplemental income for qualifying purposes. Assets do not need to be withdrawn/liquidated to use the income. May be used for both Self Employed and W2 borrowers 60% of liquid assets divided by half the loan term equals the Monthly Income used to qualify AFI income may not exceed 25% or $3,000 of total monthly income  Example:15 Year FixedBorrower has $250,000 combined in Stocks, Bonds and their Savings account 100% * $250,000 = $250,000 (100% of fa... 10/22/2016

The Daily (101816) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Authority to investigate homeowners' associations?Legal Q&A: Can HOA owners report their association to the state? Can condo directors accept restaurant gift cards? Can I sell my condo but keep the boat slip? Read more.Website accessibility a good idea but tech challengeDisabled individuals should be able to use the Internet easily, but in comments sent to the Department of Justice, NAR said mandating website changes could create a technological problem for brokers. Read moreDying suburban malls become housing meccasYou may soon sell a home inside a mall, as enclosed malls try to reinvent themselves. Some communities find that it also boosts property values. Read more.Homebuyers no longer have a taste for McMansionsThat ... 10/18/2016

The Daily (101716) Hot Sheet Of Top Real EstateNews Trending Now   Freddie Mac: Pay no attention to the homeownership ratePeople who worry about the homeownership rate's 50-year low forget demographics. Millennials may be late to the party, but that doesn't mean they aren't coming. Read moreA buyer's bank may not offer the best mortgage rateSome loan experts say that many banks don't give borrowers the lowest rate they deserve due to internal factors beyond a borrower's control, such as investor demands or a fear that rates will rise soon. Read moreCan homes be protected against storm surges?For coastal communities, the rising ocean often causes more damage than the blowing wind, and scientists are focusing on new ways to minimize water damage. Read more.Real estate agents should now ru... 10/17/2016

Does The Food Stamp Program Effect Real Estate Sales? What is your opinion? The food stamp program, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, announced that it is pleased to be distributing food stamps to the greatest number of people ever.   Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture, asks us to "Please do not feed the animals" because they may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves. Who then will buy homes, or will it be the animals?   10/15/2016

If They Can't See You...How Will They Find You??? This is just a quick example in tying nature into business with a tip to remember. As all of us evolve with the lasted gadgetry, just remember how you are found, on the internet. If you blend in like your cohorts you may never be discovered. Try to stand out some way, but keep it within the limits of who you are and/or your business practice. You may need to move closer to the problem to find the answer.    10/15/2016

Standing Out In A Crowd? A Real Estate Thought  Ever since I had a bunch of tree removal done and yard work, I have rediscovered my bird feeder. Off to the side and out of the picture during the late afternoon will attract what I call my feathered friends. The tip here is this, though they all do similar things, there will always be the one that will get the most attention and stand out among many. By doing something unique will separate yourself from others. Give it a try, you’ll be amazed at the result.   10/15/2016

A Saturday Shot Out... Shot of the Day  Since resetting our feeder we attract many feathered friends thru-out the day. Recently a few parrots have found my seed haven and have decided to stop by for lunch. They can be loud in their own right, and sometimes too loud for their own good. Never the less it’s neat to see them when they come for a visit.    10/15/2016

Are You Ready For A New Harvest Time??? As we work our daily objectives planting the seeds toward successful goals, there comes a times to harvest what we have planted. This does not come over night by any stretch. There are periods of stagnant growth, than a little sprout, onward to maturity. Unlike plants that seem simple to maintain, your business is quite different though similar. Regardless what happens along the way, the harvest will come and your hard work will be its reward.Enjoy the fruits of your labor….  10/15/2016

The Making of A Top 10 Hit.....   I haven’t seen too many posts lately about points for blogging or ranking. So I decided to encourage those that may be not as active as I to start off the year with a goal of placement. For myself, I look forward to maxing out the allowed points for the week and watching my name advance. It took a while to be discipline to do this on a daily basis. However by doing so, I feel it keeps me in the game of our local real estate.  Currently I rank 5th in Palm Beach county, 10th in the state of Florida, and 79th nationwide.   How do you rank, and do you have specific goals or guidelines? Looking forward to another great year and appreciate Active Rain for creating this format. Good luck to you as well. 10/15/2016

The Daily (101116) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Florida mops up after Hurricane Matthew Eight Fla. counties qualify for federal disaster aid, and Gov. Scott opened the state's emergency bridge loan program that offers quick cash to help businesses. Read more.Managing the post-storm insurance claims processFla. CFO Jeff Atwater consumer alert: Homeowners shouldn't undertake post-storm home repairs until they've taken a photo of the damage - documentation they may need when submitting a claim to their insurance company. Read more.FHA appraisers don't have to turn on appliancesNAR: A new regulation required FHA appraisers to make sure all appliances work, but a revision announced last week changes it to only a few items. Read more.Average 30-year mortgage rate unchange... 10/11/2016

Are YOU Your Best Social Marketer? The buck stops here as they use to say.  In whatever we do in life how one positions themselves determines outcome in the future. By creating a plan you are able to navigate through the many outlets available, but it all starts with you. Become the best promoter of your ability as you set out to accomplish this. Listed below are some topics below.  1. Items About You 2. Answer the most common question(s) you are asked by your customers. 3. Warn people about the most common pitfall(s) you see in real estate.     10/08/2016

    Is Laughing That Important To Your Health   The people who really know me, can tell you I’m always laughing. It also has been said it adds years to your life. I think folks like to be around those that have a personality that can laugh and laugh at oneself. By the way it heals elements by releasing some chemical in the body. Take the time and enjoy for life was meant to be more happier than sad.  10/08/2016

Silent Saturday A Day In The Life Atlantis, Florida  I have gotten use to carrying my camera, everywhere I go now. Even traveling to the back yard can be exciting you love a little nature here and there. It can be quit unpredictable, and fascinating just watching how the wild performs on a regular basis. Here I spotted this sea turtle catching some air as it mainly swims under water. I have also trained them around dinner hour to eat bread that I throw at them. I have had six come at this time a current record so far.   10/07/2016

What’s Wrong With This Photo….A Learning Simple Truth…  Lately, I am fascinated with my bird feeder since removing a bunch of trees and bushes from the back yard. The activity from morning till dusk is just off the chart needless to say. One thing has really bothered me is the fact of not the birds but the squirrels that plant themselves on the feeder and go to town.    In a quest to find a solution I came up with this idea. At first I set the owl on the ground next to the pole, sat and watched the reaction. The chorus from the birds having a fit for 10 minutes was deafening. The squirrels hesitated and knew not to approach this new strange animal. I thought great problem solved. A couple hours go by no squirrels. In the mean time the birds got brave again and continued to feed. As soon... 10/07/2016

The Goal Toward Buying Instead Of Renting The story line is the same would you rather buy than rent. Who today would rather buy than to rent re,aims the question? Owning has always been the American dream or at least as far as I can remember. Scroll down and learn the differences, it really is simple math. Buy now pay later, just a lot less.A few sample Benefits. Building EquityCreate your own spaceTax advantagesPrivacyPride of Ownership     10/07/2016

The Daily (100616) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Prepare for a storm's aftermathMost people prepare their home for high winds and rain; fewer prepare for the post-hurricane days that involve cleanup and property insurance negotiations. Read moreFlorida Realtors' Orlando office will close Thur.-Fri.As Hurricane Matthew moves past the Sunshine State, the following services won't be available: • Legal Hotline • Florida Realtors News • Tech Helpline (services should resume SaturdayIf necessary, updates to the closing schedule will be posted on Florida Realtors' Facebook pageHurricane could test Fla.'s new small insurersCan the newer companies handle post-storm claims processing? Hurricane Matthew might test younger companies created after the 2004-05 hurricane seasons. Rea... 10/06/2016

The Daily (100416) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Caution urged as Hurricane Matthew nears It's too soon to rule out a Fla. impact, but real estate closings could be delayed since many property insurers stop issuing new policies during storm threats. Read more$2M grant will test for Fla. housing discriminationHUD awarded $234K to Fla. agencies for fair housing initiatives, with over $2M of that going to private groups that carry out investigations and test for discriminatory housing practices. Read more.5 Fla. cities rank in top 30 for economic growth"Economic growth" is hard to measure, but a WalletHub study considered 14 indicators, such as GDP per capita, and Lehigh Acres ranked third nationwide. Read more.CoreLogic: Fla. ranks third for all-cash salesCash sales acco... 10/04/2016