You real estate transaction should move like a duck, in water. If your real estate agent is as good as he or she says or advertises then as a seller or buyer there should be very little that you have to do during your closing transaction.  In other words, your agent is like a duck in that he is moving ever so effortlessly on top of the water while all the while at the bottom, underneath the water his feet are flapping around like crazy, getting things done. Once you have your initial consultation with the agent you intend on hiring your job is to simply give him everything he needs to get the job done, i e; warranty deed, HOA docs, title policy, mortgage info, etc., your agent should basically have all the tools to get the deal closed effortlessly.  There should be no reason for him to ... 03/17/2015

Let's get real about forsalebyowner.com people. After a considerable amount of studying how this for sale by owner system works two things stand out to me - they supposedly hate realtors, yet their entire philosophy is based on what we do as professionals and all the tools they provide you are the same things you can get in any store or online yourself.  The fact that this site actually tells its consumers to stop wasting money on realtors offends me.  When they say you can save thousands by selling your home on your own they conveniently leave out a lot of very important facts.  The amount of time and effort put into selling a home is a full-time job, so if you already have one of those then how are you going to do it on your own?  Do you have the time or knowledge to show up for every... 02/23/2015

Millennials just need a push. With just a little help, and now from Washington, millennial homebuyers will hopefully come out of hibernation and start buying again.  This is a much needed and healthy part of the real estate environment that has been lacking in recent years due to several factors.  Among them, the lack of  ease in gaining a mortgage, high sales prices, low inventory, competition from cash, and lastly, just a simple lack of interest. How did we come to this?  There is plenty of blame to go around, but essentially this is nothing more than a by-product of the housing meltdown.  Now it is part of the recovery.  Since homeownership has fallen to its lowest levels in 20 years and  for those under the age of 35 to its lowest levels in 30 years the time has come to take notice ... 01/29/2015

What does Kiplinger know about real estate?  Nothing.  After reading an article in Kiplinger titled "What you should know about hiring a real estate agent" I have come to the conclusion that the author probably never sold a damned thing in his or her life and has probably also been watching way to much reality television.  This link will take you to this ridiculous article.  http://www.kiplinger.com/article/real-estate/T010-C000-S001-hire-a-pro.html However, what bothered me in particular, and this goes for those who are also entertaining the thought of selling their home as well, is that this writer suggest writing in the following phrase into the listing contract; Write a sentence into the listing contract that allows you to cancel the agreement if you aren't satisfied with the agent'... 01/15/2015

Pembroke Falls current home values. Pembroke Falls of Pembroke Pines, Florida is still holding steady in the real estate market and is known primarily for its 92.4% homeownership rate.  This gives the community more of a hometown, neighborly feel versus other communities tend to rent a lot, like condos.    Home appreciation has also done quite well with a 14.9% increase and a median home value of $375,000. this year.  You will not find a vacant home in the community for very long as demand for housing here is still strong.  This does not mean that you can ask any price you want for your property, but it does mean that you will sell at or close to list price very quickly so long as the home is priced accordingly and marketed correctly with the right agent, such as myself, a 17 year veter... 11/18/2014

If I had a dime for every panicked tenant or homeowner who called me freaking out over a leak I would be a rich man by now.  You treat a leak just like a computer hardware or software breakdown, you troubleshoot it.    First, locate where the water is coming from.  If you are in the house a leak can only come from three places, the ceiling, which means a roof leak, the AC handler, which means a clog, or through the walls or attic and on floors, which means plumbing.  But here is a handy tip.  If it's not raining the roof is probably not leaking.  Just look up, if water is beading up on ceiling in droplets it's the roof.  Nothing you can do until the rain stops, so just cover everything to contain the damage. On the other hand, if you live in a two story home and the leak is on the first... 10/03/2014

I was under the assumption not so very long ago that print advertising was dead as a door nail.  But I came to the rapid realization over the past year that you cannot abandon print altogether, yet.  The reason is simple.  Millenials are very much into social media and the internet when shopping for either a home or an agent.  However, baby boomers are a bit older and still tend to lean more toward print.  Although I am a baby boomer I do not use print for anything except advertising and reading a real book.  My entire life is centered around reading on the internet articles on the web.  At my age I am in the minority, however.  I love using the web, but there are those who just refuse or are just too scared to try.   And that is why you have to continue to use print in your marketing, ... 10/02/2014