Buying or Selling a Home in Melbourne, Florida: Who am I to tell you to sell your home?

Who am I to tell you that it is the best time to buy or sell your home? 

As a real estate agent I make money when my clients buy or sell a home.   But I am not here to tell anyone it is time to do either.

I read an article this morning urging buyers to get off the fence.  It pointed out that in many markets (340 of 1000) homes are less affordable now than they were a decade ago. 

While it may be true that homes are becoming less affordable the decision to buy should not made in fear of not being able to afford a house some time in the future.

Back to my initial question. 

There are multiple things to evaluate when it comes to buying a home.  Some of these include the interest rates, job stability or likely change, ability to obtain financing, long term goals, potential life changes and many more.

Similarly there are also multiple considerations to consider when it comes to selling include your mortgage balance, ability to obtain financing, options for replacement housing, etc.

My point is simply this...

If the possibility exists for you to buy or sell your Melbourne, Florida home, give me a call. I can provide a free market analysis.  I can provide you with listings meeting your desires.  I can provide local contacts in the mortgage and insurance areas to answer your questions.

And, if you decide to buy or sell a home in Brevard county, Florida, I can work with you.  Give me a call at 321-693-3850 or send me an email.

Home Buyer Tips: The whole truth and nothing but the truth...

The home buying process is filled with questioners... mortgage loan officer,  Realtor®, seller, insurance agent, etc.  And it is critical answers provided by completely honest.

This starts with the first step in the home buying process - the mortgage pre approval.

Related article:  The Home Buying Process in Florida - Where do I start?

When applying for a mortgage loan it is imperative all the answers provided be on the level.  Why can't I just ballpark some answers?   Because every piece of information on that application is subject to verification and most of the critical stuff (like income, employment, debts and payments) will be verified and re-verified before final approval at the closing table!

When buying a home I suggest non-cash buyers (most) do two things -

1. provide accurate answers and documentation,
2. temporarily freeze their lives until closing (no loans, no job change, no new debts or major expenditures).

When you are ready to buy a Melbourne, Florida home please give me a call at 321-693-3850 if I can help in any way.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Florida Homes For Sale: Signs that your home is not priced right...

This post was originally published on August 14,2008.  Although the Brevard County, Florida real estate market is better now than it was six years ago the message is still the same.

Selling you home is all about price.   Price for condition, location, competition and motivation. 

Signs that your home is not priced right...

To sell your home, it must be seen by potential buyers.  If your home is presentation ready, curb appeal looking fantastic and still no one is coming maybe it is priced incorrectly.

The first sign a home is not priced right is no showings during what I call the "golden period."

The "golden period" is a term I coined to describe the first two weeks a property is listed.

Most real estate agents and motivated buyers watch for new listings.  They want to buy but they are particular.   It is during its first two weeks a listing will garner the most activity. 

If it did not, look at the price.

Another measure I use to gauge whether a home is priced correctly is my 30-10-1 rule.

If a home is listed for 30 days and has less than 10 showings and not one realistic offer, then the price is most likely an issue.   While this is a buyer's market a home that is priced right will garner the appropriate attention early on in the process.

If you are considering selling your Rockledge, Viera or Suntree home, please give me a call to discuss how I can market your property.

Want a free market analysis on your Melbourne or Viera, Florida home?  Send me an email or give me a call at 321-693-3850.

The Home Buying Process...More than just opening a few doors.

I recently read an article that talked about how consumers "these days" only need a real estate agent to open the doors so they can look in the house.  It seems many seem to think the information is all on the Internet so they can go from there.

The reality is that information can be good or it can be bad.  The key is separating the wheat from the chaff.  In real estate that key is your Realtor®.

The home buying process is an education.  Ask anyone who has ever purchased or sold a home and they will attest to the educational process!  In real life very few can start school ready to graduate - even if they have all the books in their bookshelf!

So where does a buyer start?  Regardless of experience home buyers should start at the same place - get an experienced local real estate agent.  A major responsibility of your real estate agent is educational including the process, area, prices, trends, etc.

Your real estate agent will likely start with an assessment of experience and goals.   This will mean a lot of questions!

With these answers your agent will begin your education.  It may end with a new home purchase now or a plan to purchase at a later date.  Sometimes getting the mortgage lined up takes time.  Sometimes it is a matter of saving cash for closing expenses.  Sometimes the time is just not right to make the purchase.

Having an individualized plan based on real, verifiable information is critical to the home buying process.

Ready to buy or sell a home in Melbourne, Florida?  Call me at 321-693-3850 or send me an email.  It doesn't cost a thing to discuss your goals and how I can assist you in meeting them.

"I find them on Zillow but then they are already sold."

I find them on Zillow but then they are already sold.
What is there about this web site that the data is so old?
What is a home buyer to do?
You know I can not live in a zoo?

I had a call yesterday afternoon from a prospective buyer who had reached his limit.  He has been searching on Zillow for homes for sale in Rockledge, Florida.  And it seems every one he finds he likes is "already sold when he checks on the Brevard MLS system web site."

Zillow and other mega sites are not the local multiple listing service.  They operate on a quantity over quality basis.  The local Brevard MLS system, like others, has mechanisms in place to monitor quality and accuracy (fines possible for agents).

So the question is....why deal with an inaccurate site and the frustrations of not knowing if a house is really for sale when you can call a local Realtor®?

I found it on the MLS when it was new.

This is what a home buyer should do.

The local MLS I can count on you.

No need to find out later its sold and be blue.

Looking for a house for sale in Rockledge, Florida?  Call me at 321-693-3850 or send me an email.  Why not?

Home Buyer Tips: Negotiation Strategies - Somewhere, Something, Sometimes

How do you know if the seller will negotiate?   You don't but if the list price is somewhere within the realm of reality, then there is probably a willingness to give a little somewhere.

I can't recall ever selling a house where a seller was not negotiable on something.

Sometimes the price is close enough to the buyer's opinion of value that buyers will look for other things to negotiate.  It may be the terms of the deal like closing dates, seller assistance with closing costs or perhaps a repair issue even on an "as is" offer.

Here are two important points about negotiation.

1. It doesn't hurt to ask.   The first rule of rule estate offers is put it in writing.  This eliminates confusion as well as indicates sincerity.  A word of caution here...in a multiple offer situation it is often the cleanest offer (fewer contingencies) sellers opt to accept.  
2. It is not personal.   Sometimes the parties, including some real estate agents, let things get personal.  When things become personal, sometimes there is only one resolution - walk away.  Motivated sellers and buyers want a deal!

Negotiation is not a contest in which either side "must win!"  

Ready to buy or sell a house or condo in Melbourne, Florida?  Give me a call of send me an email if I can help! 

 

Home Seller Tips: Differentiation is key.

Just this past week I showed several homes in the same Viera, Florida neighborhood which is not so unusual here with homes for sale in Viera, Florida where many of the developments were built by the same builder(s).

Some developments in the planned unit development of Viera area have perhaps four or five floor plans with the only change being the front elevation.  So once inside many look alike!

So when it comes time to sell your home it is critical to differentiate your home from all the other contenders for the buyer's money.

If your home is better than the others say so.

As a Viera and Melbourne, Florida real estate agent one of the questions I ask when being interviewed is "What quality do you like most about your home?"

When I am hired to sell your Viera, Florida home I am going to use the answer to the above question as the beginning point when I prepare my marketing plan.

Related articles here...

• Selling Your Home - A Couple of Key Questions to Ask When Interviewing Real Estate Agents

• Home Seller Tip - Don't Answer This Question First When Interviewing A Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

• Choosing Your Real Estate Agent: One who is willing to tell you what you NEED to hear is more important than one who tells you what you WANT to hear!

• Listing Interviews–Why Real Estate Agents Better Have Their Act Together!

Want to sell your Viera, Florida home?   Give me a call at 321-693-3850 or send me an email.  Lets set that interview date!