All of us are being bombarded with advice, seminars, etc. about the importance of having a presence on the important social media platforms.  Great advice.... not very helpful, though, without also giving some advice about developing a strategy for using your presence on all of these sites!  When I first started posting our team's profile and information on sites like:  ACTIVE RAIN, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND MYSPACE... I wasn't quite certain how I was going to use these profiles to market our business and to generate buzz, interest and leads.  In hind sight... I now realize that developing the STRATEGY is the first step that you should take in this effort... not the last!  You must use the strategy that you develop to generate the keywords, titles & the content that you write for your prof... 06/24/2009

Proposed 25-acre park in the Creekwood neighborhood including: two dogs parks, a playground, exercise trail, & 2 tennis courts, is in its final planning stage, waiting for approval from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.   The park would be on the corner of 44th Avenue East and Creekwood Boulevard.                                                MORE HERE.....                     www.TheSerenaGroup.com   06/17/2009

  Under the proposed legislation, ALL home buyers would be eligible for a tax credit worth 10% of the purchase price up to $15,000 and the deadline would be extended by one year from the date of enactment.   More here....                                                    www.TheSerenaGroup.com 06/12/2009

06/08/2009

  www.TheSerenaGroup.com 06/08/2009

LAKEWOOD RANCH REAL ESTATE STATISTICS FOR JUNE 6, 2009.  SOLD INFORMATION FOR LAST 30 DAYS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH OR ANY OTHER MANATEE COUNTY, SARASOTA COUNTY, BRADENTON, SARASOTA, FLORIDA COMMUNITY... CONTACT THE SERENA GROUP, WE WOULD BE HONORED TO ANSWER YOUR REAL ESTATE QUESTIONS OR TO REPRESENT YOU WITH BUYING OR SELLING YOUR HOME! www.TheSerenaGroup.com        06/06/2009

  In this trying and stressful real estate market... sellers need an edge in order to attract buyers and get offers.  Here are some great suggestions for getting noticed!..... More here 06/06/2009

U.S. consumer confidence soared in May to its highest level in eight months, suggesting underlying improvement in the economy after a grim first quarter that witnessed a record plunge in home prices. The Conference Board, an industry group, said on Tuesday, May 26th, that its index of consumer attitudes jumped to 54.9 in May from a revised 40.8 in April, well above forecasts centered around 42.0. That was the biggest one-month jump since April 2003 when many Americans believed the war in Iraq was coming to a rapid conclusion. The confidence data was in line with other evidence suggesting that, while the economy continues to contract in this quarter, the pace of deterioration has substantially abated. "That moderation in the rate of decline in economic activity is raising hopes that an a... 06/05/2009

This messy real estate market is complicated enough with foreclosures and short sales and the lengthy and frustrating processes involved with distressed property sales that all Real Estate agents are learning to cope with and maneuver through.   But the sellers that are REALLY a challenge to an agent's patience, negotiating skills, and a test of our good sense as it relates to the ANCIENT REALTOR ADVICE:  NEVER TAKE AN OVER PRICED LISTING!! ... are the home sellers that insist on "testing the market" and over-pricing their own listing. These sellers ignore pages and pages of market analysis that their agent has painstakingly taken time to research and present, ignore the huge inventory of distressed properties that will ultimately be their market competitors & used as comps to appraise ... 06/04/2009

One of the most common debates a buyer may have internally, or actually debate over with a spouse, is whether to buy New Construction or Resale. Purchasing a home is a gigantic commitment, so lets weigh the pros and cons of BOTH. There is no correct answer here, only things that should be considered. New Construction Pros New Construction will charm you with its newness and readily maintained associations. It can be exciting to pick your floor plan (or have blue prints drawn for a custom built home).You are also able to choose your building materials and flooring. Modern floor plans better suite today's lifestyle of gathering in the kitchen area, and having a formal and non formal living space. A newly built home will have BRAND NEW EVERYTHING, be built to withstand mother nature, have ... 06/01/2009

We spoke with a customer service rep from Wells Fargo last evening regarding one of our short sale transactions.  In the course of the conversation, the rep informed us that from now on... when we list a short sale property and submit the 3rd party authorization with the listing information, they will immediately order the BPO so that when it's completed, Wells Fargo will be able to give you their bottom line $$ for acceptance.  This is great news and helpful in knowing where the property needs to be priced for realistic offers that the lender will accept.  It also shortens the process when an offer is received.   The Wells Fargo rep also told us that when their system records receipt of the contract / hardship package... they will assign a negotiator, normally, that same day!  Again...... 05/30/2009

          The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is more than just a long weekend for relaxing, having BBQ's, and going to the beach, although we SHOULD take time with our families to celebrate the beginning of summer... but it is also a time for reverance, respect, and saying "Thank You" to all the service personnel that protect and serve our country allowing us the luxury of enjoying independence and freedom.   So..... please do not do what we witnessed at a recent community event and display or wave an american flag... with a "Made in China" sticker on it!  Really kills the mood, ya know?!   Happy Memorial Day... From The Serena Group!     05/22/2009

Just like a lot of other Real Estate professionals... REALTORS, Title Companies, etc. , we have been trying to do the impossible!  To successfully negotiate through the jungle that is known as the banking "short sale process" towards a merciful end for our clients and to produce revenue for our real estate business... not to mention helping to clear the glut of short sales & foreclosures that are choking our Real Estate market and preventing it from stabilizing and becoming healthy again!   We can EVEN help the banks get what THEY want.... more money for toxic assets and smaller deficiencies!     The problem is that we are working with a BROKEN BANKING SYSTEM where common sense and logic play no part!   We patiently plod along, with our clients in tow, through the maze of paperwork, the... 05/06/2009

    Keller Williams Realty of Manatee Hosting A Blood Drive For Red Day 2009!    RED stands for Renew, Energize and Donate and is a new initiative from Keller Williams Realty of Manatee to give back to the community.  Red Day is Thursday, May 14, 2009 and Keller Williams Realty of Manatee has decided to host a blood drive as a way to give back to the community.  The blood drive will be from 9 am – 3 pm at the Keller Williams branch located at 5260 SR 64 in Bradenton.  All lifesaving donors will receive a Free Event T-shirt, a coupon for $5 off MOSI Body Worlds Exhibit and a wellness checkup including a cholesterol screening. Generally, healthy people, age 16 (with parental permission) or older, who weigh at least 110 pounds can be blood donors.   For further eligibility questions peopl... 05/03/2009

The National Association of Realtors statistics are reporting that home sales jumped 5.1% nationwide for March 2009. That's the largest increase since December 2003! This increase is due to the abundant foreclosure opportunities out there and to the historically low interest rates which are at about 4.7% currently!   Consumers should expect an even larger increase in these numbers in the months ahead fueled by the homebuyer tax credit that expires on Dec. 1st 2009. www.TheSerenaGroup.com 05/02/2009

04/28/2009

04/28/2009

04/26/2009

Bradenton:Bradenton's average listing price for the last 6 months $189,680-Average selling price for the last six months is $170,233: Average list price Mar 22-Apr 22 was $175,154 and the average selling price was $155,793. Average size home selling was 1619 sq ft under air.Average list price Feb 22-Mar 22 was $171,252 and the average selling price was $152,335. Average size home selling was 1550 sq ft under air. Average list price Jan 22-Feb 22 was $178,945 and the average selling price was $161,945. Average size home selling was 1647 under air.Average list price Dec 22-Jan 22 was $200,279 and the average selling price was $176,770. Average size home selling was 1650 sq ft under air.Average list price Nov 22-Dec 22 was $201,378 and the average selling price was $183,214. Average size h... 04/24/2009

Bradenton# of listings in Bradenton= 3056 active listings# of listings sold from Mar 22-Apr 22: 201# of listings sold from Feb 22-Mar 22: 198# of listings sold from Jan 22-Feb 22: 200# of listings sold from Dec 22-Jan 22: 152# of listings sold from Nov 22-Dec 22: 158# of listings sold from Oct 22-Nov 22: 1751084 homes sold in the last six months in Bradenton. Average number of homes sold per month over the last 6 months in Bradenton: 181 homes#sold (181 homes) X 12 (months) = 2172divide 2172 by 52 weeks= 42 units per weekIf 42 units sell each week divide that number into the number of active listings 42 divided by 3056 = 73 weeks is the absorption rate or about a year and a half of inventory in Bradenton. 04/24/2009