This spring I had a short sale listing.  I had not one, but a total of four offers on the property ranging in price from $130,000 all the way to $155,000.   The $ 155,000 was a cash offer with absolutely NO contingencies, positioned to close in two weeks.  In spite of my best efforts - I was calling and e-mailing several times per day, supplying the same paperwork to the loss mitigation department over and over again - the property went to foreclosure.  It was bought back by the bank and re-listed with one of their inept REO agents.    That was in the spring.  I just checked the status of the property.  It has lingered on the market since then.  It was withdrawn a few days ago, after several price slashes.  The latest asking price:  $119,900!  The property had no electric and the last... 09/24/2008

The best way to learn is to teach, or...  To blog and then read the comments... Sometimes the comments so enhance the original blog as to increase its value exponentially.  This is the case with my latest post: Listing Agents in La-La Land...   I've received so many great comments and I thank each and every one of you for your contribution!  A few comments were so good and actually complemented the original post so beautifully, that I just had to compile them here, so you can glean these valuable lessons.  These comments will enhance my own practice; I know they can do the same for you.   It is your fiduciary responsibility to tell them the reality of the market. Thus, if a market is going down 1% a month, pricing it at last month or the month's before sales is ridiculous.  Price it at ... 09/23/2008

Today marks the beginning of Autumn and that means more days of cooler weather, leaves changing color, and great Myrtle Beach Real Estate deals!  Over the weekend, our market saw 70 new listings entered to the MLS while 247 properties went under contract.  That is 3.5 to 1 ratio of homes going under contract to new homes being listed for sale.  The 70 new listings range in price from $17,900 to $3,399,000 with a median price of $225,000.  For the 247 homes that went pending, the price range was from a low of $6,000 to a high of $1,995,000 with a median price of $179,999. So what does this mean for Myrtle Beach Real Estate? Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend in our market.  This means that buyers are not only still interested in Myrtle Beach Real Estate, but they are also taking ... 09/22/2008

Many Realtors have faced the same daily feeling of "should I stay or should I go" during the past year.  You keep paying for your dues, license fees, required continuing education, advertising, insurance, supplies, and let's not forget, gas, while feeling like a hamster running in a wheel.   I've been lucky enough to have a steady stream of contacts requesting information about buying property but, as I've written about before, many of them get scared when they hear a media report that basically says, "The sky is falling".  (Yes, things are bad now, but just take a minute to think of who really started the avalanche.)  Then I've had a more than normal group of potential buyers who contact me and several other real estate agents to look for the same type of property.  Those people don't ... 09/22/2008

I am new to Activerain.  I wanted to hear how your purchase or sale is being affected by the changes in the finacial market.  Let's hear it!  Maybe we can help avoid those pitfalls in the future for others and we can pass along what works too! 09/21/2008

*Note:  This was one of my very first blogs, posted on AR in October of last year.  In light of the current market, this advice is right on the money.  By the way, the condo that garnered $ 174K when I wrote this article is no longer worth 174K.  I just sold one last week for a mere $ 125K.  Yes, believe it! Listing Agents in La-La Land... Maybe it's because my father had a PhD in Economics, and made statistics and reading patterns rendered by numbers into a game I enjoyed playing as a kid, maybe it's intuitive deduction; whatever the reason, numbers speak to me and always have.  In 2004 and 2005, I understood that supply and demand created unnaturally high pricing on our oceanfront condos, and I was among the first ones to service a long stream of "flippers", as I called them, investor... 09/21/2008

I love all of the wonderful things Myrtle Beach, SC has to offer.  It is one of the main reasons I moved here and then became a Myrtle Beach Real Estate Agent.  With the wide varieties of events always taking place, you are always going to find something to do of interest.  Here is a list of upcoming events in Myrtle Beach & surrounding areas. 9/1 -10/31 Pumpkins for Parkinson's Display www.GhostShows.com 9/12-28 - Pawleys Island Festival of Music and Art www.pawleysmusic.com 9/13 - 18th Annual OD Shag Club SOS Charity Golf Tournament www.odshagclub.com 9/13 - Responsible Dog Ownership Day and Adopt-a-DOG-a-thon www.ADogsWayInn.com 9/17 - Charity Golf Tournament - Grand Strand Miracle League 843-626-7471 9/19 - NMB's Sounds of Summer Concert Series www.nmb.us 9/20 - Huntington Beach Sta... 09/20/2008

  With all the gloom and doom extant today, we need to ensure healthy portions of Optimism on a daily basis.    In the midst of October, a lovely movie is set to open, a fresh infusion of "Right Attitude Coaching".     I'm a firm believer in observing those you admire and adopting their ways by modeling their behavior.   That's why this is such a good movie to watch!  See you at the movies!  See you at the top!   Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection 09/19/2008

  This is certainly a Buyers' Market, but what do you do if you are a Seller?   Stephanie AuWerter, Editor of SmartMoney.com offers some great tips for selling your home:   To re-cap:   *Price your home right   *Spruce it up   *Limit Renovations   *Pick the right Real Estate Broker   *Respond to all offers   To view the entire CBS News article go to:  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/24/uttm/main4378616.shtml   Myrtle Beach Homes by Mirela Monte                               Proud Optimist! 09/19/2008

BUY REAL ESTATE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Burger King did it, and so did many others.   It seems like a good strategy:  watch what the big boys are doing and just copy them to ensure success. Just what are the big boys doing right now?  I don't know about your clients, but my Investors are gobbling up properties like they are going out of style.  I know that my market is different; I mean, God does not create any more Beach, but I think this Investor MO applies across the board.  Here is the point of view of one of our biggest players, R. Donohue Peebles, the head of the Peebles Corporation, a Coral Gables, FL based real estate investment and development firm with a $4 billion portfolio.  His latest book is "The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth: "How to Mak... 09/19/2008

Arrgh!  A holiday that my wife and her family really enjoy celebrating is on September 19th.  It is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.  In Honor of this wonderful holiday, we decided to dress up Isabelle in her official Baby Pirate uniform. You may be asking, how do I talk like a pirate? Well, I did a little research through her family and here is what I came up with.  To my surprise, there are actually some rules to be followed:   How To Be Speakin' Pirate-Like-Startin' Rules ·       Double up on all your adjectives and you'll be bountifully bombastic with your phrasing. Pirates never speak of "a big ship", they call it a "great, grand ship!" They never say never, they say "No nay ne'er!" ·       Drop all your "g"'s when you speak and you'll get words like "rowin'", "sailin'" and "f... 09/19/2008

Jogging and The Breakdown   For the past week or so, the only song I listen to while jogging, is "Breakdown" by Frou Frou.  My daughter introduced me to the song; she listens to it herself quite a bit.    I have no idea why I like it so much; I just do.  I want to share it with you and see if it resonates with you as much as it does with me.   Enjoy!     Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                 Join The Optimist Group! 09/18/2008

  With all the uncertainty in the Financial Markets what do you do with your money?  Home Ownership is an investment in Your Future.  You must remember that Real Estate is LOCAL! What does that me to you as the Buyer?  In short all Real Estate Markets are different and there are great deals and opportunities for a Buyer if you are willing to look!  Despite all the negative Media reports and a some shot term loss of value, Home Values long-term have and will continue to rise. The Coastal regions of South Carolina have proven to be the major destination of those getting ready to retire or those wanting to get out of the hustle and bustle of the busy city life.  Lower taxes, better schools, better lifestyle, better weather, are all reasons I hear time and time again why people are moving t... 09/18/2008

Incredible land available just steps to the IntraCoastal WaterWay!  This is an Investor's dream!!  Do you like boating ? Casino boats? Fishing? and incredible places to eat directly on the Waterway? Well this is it !!!     We have .69 acre of property available for you with 3 different options to buy in a very popular, up incoming area of Little River, SC. Have you heard of our famous Blue Crab festival, our exciting Casino Boats at the docks?  This land is located within steps to the waters edge, and ready to build your dream home !!                                                                                                                                                                                                  The property in whole, 3 lots .69 acre for only $249,900, or 2... 09/17/2008

As part of my daily ritual of life, I log on to my Active Rain blog.  Today was no different.  What a surprise it was to see the dramatic change.  Larger pictures, fewer categories, highlighted realtors from Myrtle Beach.  Was this a long time in the planning?  What was the purpose of it? Does someone out there have any input as to why the change. i think it looks good, but am wondering why I am so clueless as to how and why this change came about... 09/17/2008

Every month our office has a awards luncheon to recognize the top real estate agents in our office for sales & listings of Myrtle Beach Real Estate.  This past month we visited Fiesta del Burro Loco a Mexican restaurant that has a party like atmosphere with festive decorations that includes giant sombreros, pinatas, and bright colorful paintings.  It is located off of Bypass 17 in Myrtle Beach, just south of Broadway at the Beach As we began our dining experience, we were greeted with fresh salsa & chips as well as two pleasant servers to handle our group.  Their menu includes several wonderful Mexican dishes.  Most of the group ordered salads, but I had one of the best Steak Quesadillas I have had in a long time.  It was filled with mounds of delicious fresh cooked steak & cheese.  Th... 09/16/2008

I will start posting quick blogs about extraordinary buying opportunities in the Myrtle Beach area as they become available.   The blogs will feature a particular property with all pertinent data.     Some of these deals are REO's, some are upcoming foreclosures.  I will post them as I find them.   Once I get a property sold, I will take the corresponding blog down.  These are not necessarily my listings; they are only extraordinary deals priced for quick liquidation, typically for cash.  If you see something interesting today and you revisit my page and the blog is no longer there, you'll know that property has been sold.    If you see something you may have a Buyer for, or something that you may be interested in buying, please contact me as soon as possible!  I pay a 25% referral fee ... 09/15/2008

A Father is shopping for a Barbie Doll for his five year old daughter.  He looks at The Business Barbie, The Veterinarian Barbie, The Doctor Barbie, The Engineer Barbie, The Teacher Barbie, all of them priced at only $19.99.    Then he notices "The Divorce Barbie" priced significantly higher at a whopping $ 199.99.  The father can't understand the huge price difference, so he asks the clerk:   "Why are all these Barbies only $ 19.99, yet the Divorce Barbie is priced so much higher?"   The clerk responds:  "Why, Sir, that is ‘The Divorce Barbie'; she comes with Ken's house, Ken's cars and Ken's best friend!"     AR JOKESTER                    Life's Short; Live Well!  Be an Optimist! 09/14/2008

With the Fall Season approaching, now is the perfect time to buy Myrtle Beach real estate. Not only is it a Buyer's market, but a purchase before the end of the calendar year allows you to declare your new home as your primary residence (for those moving to the beach full time) and enjoy the benefits of a lower Real Estate Tax Bill. Legends Real Estate has some awesome existing homes and some beautiful new construction home almost complete. Click HERE for a list of available homes. Legends and Sago Plantation have some GREAT homesites available... Call or e-mail for a list of available inventory. Remember you can always Buy Now and Build Later... There are also some very attractive Model Lease Back opportunities available. For those of you not familiar with a Model Lease Back here is ho... 09/14/2008

One of the best lessons I've learnt in Real Estate came from a client.   I was advising her to wait for a better offer, one that I knew I could get her.  She said no, time is money and for every day the property stays on the market, money is lost.  ...Say no more; I got it!   Obviously the banks haven't had any such tutor.  They have absolutely no understanding about the relationship between time and money.  I thought it was only happening with short sales, where the 2-6 months closings seem to be the norm.     Two days ago I brought one of the top banks a cash offer to close in 7 days on one of their REO's.  They accepted the offer, but they moved the closing date to 60 days later.  SAY WHAT??????????????????  Let me see if I understand this:  my Buyer has CASH, and he wants to close ... 09/13/2008