Open House Archives - Page 4 of 12 - Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

Last week we focused on keeping sellers safe using the virtual listing appointment program. Today we’d like to talk about buyer’s safety. Guided virtual showings program helps buyers tour homes safely and efficiently.

Let’s face it, no matter what is going on in the world many sellers need to sell, and many buyers need to purchase. Did you know that in the last 7 days 254 new homes came on the market, 240 homes went pending and 354 homes closed in Lee County?

So how can we show homes safely and efficiently in today’s environment? The Ellis Team guided virtual showings program helps buyers tour homes safely. The guided virtual showings program consists of several steps.

Virtual Consultation. Our agents listen to what you’re looking for. We ask detailed questions about the type of home you’re looking for. Based on your answers we get to work finding the best properties that match your criteria. An Ellis Team agent sorts through all the clutter to get you to the best homes at the best value.

6 Easy Steps

We set you up on a favorite list whereby we email you new or modified listings each day that match your criteria. We want you to know about hot new listings first. Speed wins and the best homes go fast.

We setup virtual showings online. Together we go through each of the best homes. You tell us what you like and what doesn’t work for you. Many times, we’ll have found the home on the first attempt, if we’ve done a good job of listening. Sometimes we tweak the search a little bit, and sometimes we must go back to drawing board. The neat thing is, because this is all being done virtually, the process can happen quickly.

Electronic Signatures– All of the purchase agreement can be created and signed electronically. The advantage to buyer is it can be done quickly which means your offer may get accepted before another higher offer comes in from another buyer. Speed wins the day.

Home Inspections– Many home inspectors will inspect the home and send you a report along with photos and proof of items needing repair. Home inspector can even setup a virtual meeting to discuss items. This limits people needed at the home inspection and keeps you safer with social distancing. Sellers appreciate it too because there are less people invading their home potentially getting them sick.

Closings– Much if not all of the closing can be done remotely or by Fed Ex. You do not need to attend closing. In the days of social distancing, why be present for something you don’t need to be? You can focus your time on more productive things. We’ll arrange to meet you with the keys to your shiny new home.

We Listen-Then Suggest

The key to the whole system is listening to what you’re trying to accomplish, educating you on the market, and helping you find and negotiate to a successful transaction. We have lenders that offer low rates and zero lender fees. Our team has access to so many resources. We can discuss your needs and ways we can save you money and make the process easier for you when we meet.

To get started, simply go to www.Virtual-Showings.com or you can request a virtual consultation and virtual showings from any of our websites like www.LeeCountyOnline.com

If you’re a seller, you’ll be interested in www.Virtual-listing-Appointment.com Sande and Brett will use the same tools to get your home sold fast, and safely.

As always, we can always talk on the phone the old-fashioned way too. You can reach Brett or Sande at 239-489-4042 Ext 4

See last week’s article “Virtual Listing Appointment Program to Safely List Your Home“

The Ellis Team is introducing our virtual listing appointment program to safely list and sell your home. People still need to buy and sell property, but in today’s social distancing environment meeting people isn’t always a good idea.

For years we’ve used various technologies to bring a consumer experience to the buyer. We’ve adapted to bring this same experience to the seller, with a few new twists. Our website can be found at www.Virtual-Listing-Appointment.com

How the Virtual Listing Appointment Program Works

The first step is a virtual listing consultation with Brett or Sande. We’ll discuss your situation, what you’re trying to accomplish, where you’re going, and what your ideal timeframe is. We can do all of this with an online video conference we’ll setup for you.

Next, we can do a virtual walkthrough with you. On your phone you can show us the house using our video conferencing application. If you don’t have internet at the home, we can do this through photos and other methods. Brett and Sande can discuss comparables and market conditions with you on the video conference just as if we were meeting in your home or at our office.

Once you feel comfortable and make the decision to place your home on the market, all listing documents can be signed electronically by e-signature. We have the software to do that as well.

3D Virtual Tours

The Ellis Team then springs into action. We hire a professional photographer to photograph your home and do a 3D virtual tour of your home. This allows us to setup online showings via our websites and 3D tour solutions for buyers. Our team has sold several homes over the years sight unseen online. We can do the same for your home.

Some buyers will purchase via virtual tools, and some will not. At the very least, we can eliminate a lot of shoppers. Most all buyers love the technology and can narrow down their choices online. In this way we’re helping sell our listings and reducing the foot traffic in the home. It doesn’t do a lot of good having 100 showings to find one buyer. Now we create the online showings and still find the buyer. If we can cut the actual showings down significantly and still sell the home, we’ve made the selling process safer for buyers and sellers in the process.

Virtual Open Houses

Our team holds virtual open houses. This is another way we can cut down on people entering your home and potentially spreading the Coronavirus, the flu, or any other germs.

Ellis Team buyer agents can also do virtual showings with buyers. Let’s say the virtual tour or online photos don’t address all the buyer’s questions. Instead of setting up showings and bringing buyers through your home, our agents can go to your home a do a video walk-through guided by the buyer. The buyer sees exactly what they want to see and gets all their questions asked, and the seller doesn’t have a large group of people going through their home.

Sellers also appreciate that with less showings, the home doesn’t have to be stage ready at a minute’s notice every day. By having the home show ready on day of photos, it takes a lot of pressure off keeping home show-ready every single day.

Once we list a home, we can continue to host virtual meetings with our sellers. We can provide listing updates, walk through the MLS together, and present sales contracts. Our technology brings us closer together than ever before.

The Future of Real Estate

And who knows, this may become the Future of Real Estate. A crisis like this forces us to adapt, and by thinking out of the box we may have created a better way to communicate with our sellers on a consistent basis. Now we can have scheduled virtual meetings anytime, just as if we’re sitting together in your living room. Put the virtual listing appointment program to work for you.

If you’re thinking about selling, Always Call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 or visit www.Virtual-Listing-Appointment.com

See last week’s article “Coronavirus Changing Real Estate Transactions“

The world as we know it has changed, at least for a few months. Today we’d like to talk about how the Coronavirus changing real estate transactions affects consumers and what needs to happen going forward.

Let’s face it, people are scared about their health, job, economy, etc. This virus is scary and causes us to feel a loss of control. We as humans like to control our destiny and protect our family. We also know some buyers need to buy, and some sellers need to sell.

What can be done to alleviate fears, calm anxiety, and still allow for real estate transactions to occur. We’ve come up with some strategies to help our customers who want or need to make a move while all this virus stuff is going on.

One of the things we do is create 3D tours of our listings so buyers can walk through a home virtually. We also use professional photos to make the home look as real as possible to a potential buyer online.

The second thing we’re doing is creating virtual staging. Let’s say we have a buyer out of town, or local but trying to eliminate the number of homes they enter. Our agents can setup a virtual showing whereby we show the home on video and walk-thru. Buyers can ask questions and have us go back and show them certain things on video in real-time. We’ve had several buyers purchase homes using this technique without ever having to visit the home in person. We can video the back yard, neighborhood, amenities, etc. Anything the buyer wants to see in person we can do online. We also have some video walk-throughs like this one at 19694 Villa Rosa Loop in Estero.

We offer online mortgages too with zero-lender fees. This speeds up the lending process and requires no human interaction in person. Our team uses electronic documents as well, so customers can sign purchase or listing agreements, required disclosures, and all necessary paperwork electronically.

We now have a mobile app that let’s customers view properties anywhere in the country. Simply go to www.mobilesearchapp.com and search away. Be sure to select Brett Ellis as your agent. The app shows you how much you’ll save with the zero-lender fee option, as well allow you to search at the neighborhood level, not just the city and zip code level. Just type in a neighborhood and you’re good to go. It will also show you nearby open houses.

Video conferencing is a nice option to meet with your agent and discuss your needs. We can share our screen so you can see items on a contract or MLS printout, or simply talk face to face without any risk of transmitting or receiving Coronavirus.

The bottom line is just because the world is going through a health scare doesn’t mean you have to give up on your real estate needs. If you have a lease expiring, your landlord may not care that you don’t have a place to go. We’ve got to find alternative ways to accomplish our goals. The restaurant industry is adapting by offering drive thru, takeout, and delivery service. The real estate industry must adapt as well. In fact, this could become a model going forward.

We posted a video on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/brettellisfl about how we’re changing to meet the needs of our customers. The current situation demands it.

We also created a Real Estate Coronavirus Mastermind Task Force for top agents to meet and discuss ways to help buyers and sellers conduct transactions in this challenging time. Buyers and sellers have needs, and we want to deliver results in a safe way for our clients and our families as well. Together we’ll weather the storm, and who knows, we might even create a model to more efficiently and safely sell homes in the future. As we study the effects of Coronavirus changing real estate transactions, we’ll constanly provide solutions to meet those challenges.

If you’d like to talk to Brett or Sande, give us a call at 239-489-4042 Ext 4. We can setup a video conference with you as well.

Good luck, stay safe, and Happy Home Buying and Selling if you’re in the market. We’re here to help if you need an agent with experience working through challenges like this.

See last week’s article “Real Estate Inventory Supply Tightens in SW Florida Since December”

People are talking and wondering what effect the Coronavirus will have if it comes to the US. We should prepare for and expect that it will as it is spreading across the globe, and we are not immune no matter how hard we try. Today we’d like to focus on a potential Coronavirus impact on real estate.

Let’s talk about what we know first. From a health standpoint, the death rate appears to be about 2%. Most people experience cold and flu like symptoms which might persist a bit longer than a cold. The flu death rate was about .1%. In 2018 61,200 people died from the flu, while about 42.9 million people were infected.

While Coronavirus appears to be very serious, it’s not something to freak out about. We can try to slow it down, but if it reaches pandemic status it will come. The young and the old are most at risk, like many illnesses.

What Will be CoronaVirus Impact on Real Estate Nationwide?

If it comes, what will be Coronavirus impact on real estate? Several things could happen. First, the economy will slow down. The virus is already affecting business worldwide. We are seeing oil prices drop, in addition to interest rates. A slowing economy lowers the demand for oil.

Home buyers can take advantage of lower rates. Yesterday at our meeting a lender was quoting under 3.5% conventional and under 3% for government backed loans. It’s a good day to be a buyer right now, and if you’re in the market, you should act now.

Rates are 1% lower than they were this time last year. This adds 11% purchasing power to a buyer. In January the median home price was up 2.1% over last year while the average was up 13.8% At the median level, buyers just gained about 8-9% purchasing power on interest rates alone, which adds fuel to the market.

The Coronavirus could impact travel plans for international visitors and Americans alike. Tourism could drop and vacation rentals could be hit from foreigners. However, we could see a boom from Americans who may become afraid to travel abroad and decide to stay in the US. We could see people decide not to take cruises and vacation in Florida instead.

Florida May Fare Better Than Others

While airline and cruise stocks may be hit hard, the impact on Florida may not be as severe as people can drive here. Luxury markets could be hit as we may have less foreign buyers here this year due to the virus. California comes to mind as Chinese buyers are not traveling and spending money here right now. Right now the virus is spreading across Europe, so expect to see more US luxury markets affected going forward.

Amazon has admitted it expect lower sales on its big sales day coming up. A lot of product will not come from China, so global sales will suffer. Short-term we could see an economic pull-back. Some people could lose their job over the virus. The only silver lining to all this was it’s happening at a time our economy was doing well, so at least it didn’t happen in a downturn.

While the economy could suffer a bit if we have a full-blown outbreak, there will be opportunity due to lower rates. From a human standpoint we hope they contain this thing and get it under control soon. The cat might already be out of the bag. If it is, we’ll deal with it as best we can. It may become a big inconvenience. Meetings may get cancelled. Schools and major events might have some choices to make.

Buyers and sellers have choices too. Our suggestion would be, if a move is something you’re considering, do it now. Rates are in your favor.

Best Way to Search For Properties On The Go

If you’d like the best search option available, check out www.mobilesearchapp.com It’s simply the best mobile search app on the planet. It allows you to search at the neighborhood level anywhere in the US. This is a great way to beat the crowds and see what’s available.

If you have questions feel free to call us 239-489-4042 Ext 4 Ask for Sande or Brett

Good luck, and wash those hands every chance you get!

See last week’s article “Interest Rates and Housing Inventory Levels Shape Direction of Market”

Check Out Lee County’s Best Real Estate Values

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

For the past two years we’ve been talking about lower interest rates fuel home sales and their impact on pricing. Today we have some data to illustrate how lower interest rates fuel increased pending sales. And we all know pending sales lead to closings.

Last year the Fed made a mistake and began raising interest rates, which led to higher 30-year mortgage rates as well. These two are not always tied together, but in this case that was the effect. As you can see from the interest rate chart, rates began rising in 2018, especially in the latter half when the Fed did what they did.

As rates shot up to 5% at the end of 2018, home sales lagged. Beginning in November 2018 new pending sales fell off about 20% and continued its slide until April of 2019. March 28^th is when we saw our first real dip in rates, which led the turnaround in new pending sales immediately. Beginning in April new pending sales turned around, and they’ve continued since. In fact, this September we saw the largest increase of 19.6% This is a function of lower rates now combined with rates that were rising at that time last year.

Lower Interest Rates Fuel Increased Sales

Last September new pending sales were falling and this year they’re rising. These two charts illustrate perfectly well the effect lower interest rates can have on home buyer’s motivation. Lower rates open more opportunities for buyers as well, as they can afford more home for the same payment.

The interesting thing will be what happens moving forward. Interest rates are moving up while the Fed is lowering rates now. The Fed is in pause mode now to see how monetary policy shakes out both here in the US and globally. Like I said earlier, these two rates are not always tied together.

When word gets out that rates are going back up, it will have one of two effects. It may spur some buyers who were on the fence to act, which could increase new pending sales. It could also have a chilling effect, because as rates go up, sales can go down. Fewer buyers qualify at various price points, so it essentially takes some buyers out of the market.

We can’t say moving forward where mortgage rates will be next year. There are plenty of variables, not the least of which are trade deals. Secondly, the sad reality is the world is broke. Nobody really has any money, it’s all borrowed. We see countries in Europe with negative interest rates because their economy is in trouble. The United States is still the strongest economy on the planet, so we don’t have the need to go negative like these other broke countries. However, we owe a lot too, so we must be careful with spending programs to avoid the fate of some of these countries.

The good news is our economy is booming and could be better once these trade deals are worked out. Ironically, certainty in the market may spill over and help these other countries too, if they pay attention and rein in spending.

So how does all this affect real estate here in Southwest Florida? Lee County prices have been very stable the last few years. We haven’t seen big price run-ups. We should be in good shape no matter what happens globally. While the Fed made a mistake last year, they’ve been doing a reasonably good job reading the financial tea leaves and keeping the US steady.

30-year rates today are at 3.78% on average. That’s really good, and if we keep rates below 4% we should continue to see excellent sales numbers moving forward. It’s when rates hit 5% last year that we saw slowdown.

We’ve helped buyers save big on closings costs through a lender we work with. If you’re thinking of buying, you should call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty. 239-489-4042 and speak with one of our buyer agents. If you’re thinking of selling ask for Sande or Brett at Ext 4, or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com

Good luck and Happy Home Buying!

We have 7 open houses this weekend. Call our office for complete schedule 239-489-4042

Mortgage applications rise sparking important questions this past week 8.1% as mortgage rates fell. We are consistently seeing rates below 4%. Recently we had a buyer receive 3.25% on a fixed rate loan. With rates falling, it’s sparking two important questions.

If I own a home, should I refinance? The answer depends on two things. What is the differential in the rate you have currently and today’s rates, and how long do you plan on staying in the home? Does your current home meet your needs? We are at a historic time. This is an opportunity to lock in a low rate for your home, or an opportunity to find something better and lock that in.

You May Qualify For More Home Now

You might qualify for much more home than ever before due to these low rates. Your dream home you thought was an impossible dream might just now be a reality. The question is, are you content where you are, or do you aspire for something better? Now is the time. There is no right or wrong answer, It’s your answer. What we can say is there is a right or wrong time, and now is the right time.

If you don’t currently own a home, now is the best time from a financial standpoint. Only you can answer if it’s a good time job wise, relationship wise, etc. It’s been proven that owning a home is key to accumulating long-term wealth. Putting money in the stock market may not work out the way you want. Income stocks and bonds, CD’s, and interest bearing accounts aren’t paying much either. Real estate may be your best bet, and now is the time.

You may need help deciding whether to keep your existing home and fix it up or sell it and buy another. You’d probably think a real estate agent would only want to sell you something, so no sense consulting with an agent. A good agent will listen to what you’re trying o accomplish and make suggestions for you to consider. This is a moment in history, and you may not get a do-over.

Real Estate Sales Versus Consultant

Good real estate agents know things the general public does not. We can offer advice based upon your needs, even if it’s not deciding to sell. When you receive good advice, you’re much more likely to recommend your agent to people you know. Great agents know that if they take care of their customers, their customers will always take care of them.

We help a lot of people buy and sell property in SW Florida. Sometimes we don’t take a listing because we can’t help the seller. Sure, we could take a lot more listings, but in the end, if you know it’s not right you’re not helping anybody.

Most sellers don’t know for sure where they’d go if they sold. They know their current home isn’t ideal for them anymore, but they don’t know how they’d get to another home. It’s logistics. This is where a great agent can help. You must have a plan to get from point A to point B. There are steps, and good agents have a track record of accomplishing this. Sellers see the task as daunting, so they give up before they start.

Mortgage Applications Rise Sparking Important Questions

Sometimes homeowners look back on their life and hate how they’ve been stuck someplace that doesn’t make them happy. We’re not saying you should sell today at all costs. What we are saying is if you have a home that isn’t working for you anymore, there are options, and today more things are possible than they were in past.

Call Sande or Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 and schedule a sit-down appointment to go over your needs. If you’re just looking for a quick, free online evaluation, we provide that service as well. Simply go to www.SWFLhomevalues.com and it does a pretty good job of estimating your home’s value instantly. Did we say Free?

Of course, there’s no substitute for consulting with us. We’re here when you’re ready to talk, and we have tools for you if you’re just curious and beginning the thought process.

Good luck and Happy Home Buying/Selling!

See last week’s article “Median Time to Contract Increased 20.6% in August”

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Ellis Team Facebook Page-Open Houses

One of the ways to measure the health of the local real estate market is to look at total dollar volume. Because total dollar volume consists of the total number of sales multiplied by the cumulative sales prices, it’s a good indicator of the overall strength of the market. Sometimes sales prices are up but home sales are softer, and other time home sales are strong and prices are down. Each component affects the total volume of closed sales. Total dollar volume down 7.15% year to date in Lee County.

Obviously if prices are up and sales are up, total dollar volume will be up. And vice versa if both are down. Because it’s not always both up or down, this measure is a great tool to quickly identify what’s going on.

Total Dollar Volume Down 7.15% Year to Date in Lee County

Upon further inspection, total dollar volume in Lee County Florida is down 7.15% year to date. Perhaps this is why inventory has grown just a bit and agents are feeling the pinch. Combine this with a lot going on in the industry right now, and it’s no wonder agents are jumping around switching companies. When business is down for an agent, they begin to look at why, and whether another company might be the answer.

If you look at the monthly trend, you’ll see it was worse January through April. The last two months have reduced the imbalance, but agents are still jumpy. There are two truths consumers and agents may want to consider.

Interest rates have really helped spark the market. Buyers are seeing some of the lowest rates we’ve seen in decades and they don’t want to miss this opportunity. If rates stay low, this could help wipe out losses compared to last year.

Disruption Coming to Industry

Even with sales coming back agents are jumpy. There is an uneasy feeling amongst agents, because things are changing, and they don’t know what to do about it. The balance of power is shifting. In a few months, agents will be hit with more disruptions they don’t even see coming in the industry. When you’re an agent and bogged down in your own business, sometimes you don’t pay attention to external forces that will influence your industry.

You’ve heard the “too close to the forest to see the trees” saying. I think agents think things have always been a certain way, so they believe these changes they’ve heard about for so long won’t affect them.

We hosted a seminar this past week and agents from other companies came and listened. When they saw some of the changes coming, most of them immediately went back and acted. Change is coming whether we’re ready for it or not. Most were just blind to what is coming until their eyes were opened.

Questions Consumers Should Ask

Consumers should really ask their agent how business has been for them in 2019 versus 2018. Is that agent thinking of making a move? A consumer would want to know that before listing. If their business is down, they may need to make a move and not even realize why. If the agent does need to make a move, let them do it first before listing with them. There is nothing more frustrating than listing with an agent and finding out they just moved. The broker may or may not release the listing, and you could be stuck with an agent you didn’t choose, and you don’t know.

You holding out may spur your agent to act now versus waiting too long. If you’re an agent and you’re curious as to what the big changes are, send me an email at Brett@topagent.com Big change is coming whether you face it or not.

If you’re looking to sell your home, always call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty. 239-489-4042 Ext 4 Ask for Brett or Sande. Or visit www.swflhomevalues.com to find out what your home is worth online, instantly. Our sales are up, and we’re on top of the changes, so you will be too. This can be a fun market if you’re prepared. Let us show you how to take advantage of the opportunities.

See Last Week’s Article: 2019 SW Florida Real Estate Market Officially Balanced

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Sat 12-4 PM

Riverfront Home- Priced to Sell This Weekend

8471 Casa Del Rio

Open House Sat 12-3 PM

Eagle Ridge Home-Spacious and Gorgeous

7904 Eagles Flight Ln

Open House Sat 12-3 PM

Cape Coral Waterfront Home

2653 SW 29th Ave

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

4 Bedroom Golf Course Home

21529 Windham Run

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

Sailboat Access Home Cape Coral

914 El Dorado Pkwy E

Open House App

We have an app that will show you all the open houses nationwide. Check it out at www.SWfloridaopenhouse.com and download for Free

Ellis Team Open House App

The latest news release from Florida Realtors show Lee County Florida home sales down 6.8% in April but still up from 2016 and 2017 levels. We are seeing increasing inventory and time on the market, and home prices are flat. Total dollar volume of sales was down 12.3%, so we’re definitely experiencing a shifting market.

Lee County Florida April Home Sales Down 6.8% — Lee County Florida April 2019 Home Sales Down 6.8%

How you look at the market might just depend on your expectations. If you look at it over the last 4 years, this is the 2^nd highest rated market. You can also look at it as down versus last year, and the fundamentals propelling the market are down as well.

So where do we go from here? A lot of that will depend on the economy, interest rates, and consumer sentiment. Right now, consumer confidence is fairly strong. Interest rates have declined, and the economy is doing well. The wild cards right now are the trade wars and their effects on the overall economy moving forward.

Trade between Mexico and Canada has a chance at improving significantly depending on if congress passes the latest revision to NAFTA. Trade with China has the potential to increase drastically or go South in a hurry. Long term it’s in our best interests to hold tight, but there is pressure on farmers and retail to wrap it up sooner rather than later. There could be long-term winners and short-term losers in that deal.

We don’t control what happens in the future. What we know is many want to buy here, and many want to sell. As in any market, the trick is pricing homes at today’s market and then marketing the home so as many prospects as possible see it.

One of the best websites to search for properties is www.LeeCountyOnline.com It’s great because it’s updated in real-time and includes all the listings. Additionally, there are neighborhood market reports, so buyers and sellers can get an idea of what’s going on at the neighborhood level too.

Memorial Day weekend is a great weekend to enjoy the outdoors. It’s going to be hot. Perhaps you’re looking to purchase a home with a big back yard so you can entertain friends and family, play games, and enjoy some BBQ on the grill. Perhaps you’re looking for a pool home in this hot weather. Or you’re looking for a waterfront home or condo so you can go out on the boat right from your back yard. We’ve got it all on our website.

And if you’re looking to sell, we can give you a free online estimate of your home’s value. Simply go to www.SWFLhomevaues.com and it will show you instantly. Or call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 Many buyers need to sell their home first, and that’s where we can help. We can time it, so we sell your home and find you a property to purchase as well. All this takes coordination with the lender, title company, and the next home you’re purchasing. We handle all the details for you so you can enjoy the process.

So, this weekend go out and enjoy the outdoors. When you’ve had enough sun and heat, check out our websites and search for the next home that will meet your needs better. We’ve even got boat clubs we can recommend, which might save you some money. Some buyers elect to go this route and not buy a waterfront home and still enjoy the fabulous boating we have here in SW Florida. Others want that boat right at their house. Either way, we can help.

Stay safe, enjoy the weekend, and Happy House Hunting!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Saturday 1-4 PM

1742 Ardmore Rd

$273,240

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

3681 Gloxinia Dr

$225,000

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

914 El Dorado Pkwy E

$925,000

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

14528 Aeries Way

$450,000

SW Florida real estate inventory drops in April. Back in February we calculated 6,677 listings from MLS and today we have 6,283. Either more homes are selling to cause this drop, or homes are expiring and have not re-entered the market yet.

So, let’s dig deeper, find out what is causing this, and look at the opportunities. We run a 365-day moving average tracking the SW Florida home sales. Back in February we tracked 13,083 sales compared to 12,986 today. What this tells us the inventory levels are not coming down from increased sales. In fact, sales have lightened up a bit. The other thing it could be is increased pending sales taking inventory off the market, but they haven’t closed yet.

Official pending numbers for March will be released next week, so we’ll study those. We watch the expired listings hitting the market each day and we noticed a large number at the end of March. With listing numbers down almost 400 we can assume some sellers gave up when they didn’t get their price.

SW Florida Real Estate Inventory

We can also assume that many of those same sellers would like to sell. Perhaps they have another property they’d like to move to. Perhaps they’re tired of the HOA or condo fees where they live now. Maybe it’s just time. In any event, there may be a way to get your property sold.

Sometimes sellers just hire the wrong Realtor. They assume all Realtors market the same, therefore they will all fetch the same price for their home. Reality tells us this isn’t true. Some Realtors practice the 3 P’s of marketing. 1. Put a sign in the yard. 2. Place it on MLS. 3. Pray that another Realtor sells it.

Placing a home on 100 different Internet sites is not marketing. Anybody can do that. It’s easy, and I’ll show you how. The real marketing is finding buyers for your home. This entails calling a database of buyers looking in your neighborhood. That’s right! We have a database of buyers looking for homes in your neighborhood. If you doubt me, I’ll show you the database. I’ll show you the buyers.

Marketing for New Buyers

Secondly, we want to create new buyers not already in the database. We target buyers online who are looking for a home or condo just like yours. You can’t wait for the market to come to you. You must go and get the market. This is why so many homes expire and never sell. The Realtor didn’t go and get the buyer.

Sellers do not want to reduce their price until they’re satisfied that all the marketing is being done. They only want to reduce the price when they’re convinced it is the price, not the marketing. When you hire marketing gurus when you list the home, you’ll know. Hiring the wrong Realtor can cost you valuable time on the market with no sale.

Lots of people call us the 2nd or 3rd time around. Why not call us 1st? If you’re thinking of selling, or tried to sell and failed, give us a call. It might not be the price. You might have simply selected the wrong Realtor.

Open House App

We have an app that will show you all the open houses in your area, no matter where you live. It even works up North. Simply go to www.SWfloridaopenhouse.com and download the app. Sellers like it so they can explore the competition. Buyers love it so they can see today which homes will be open house next weekend.

Free Home Value

You can also check out your home’s value online for Free. Go to www.SWFLhomevalues.com This site does a pretty good job of estimating your home’s value. It’s scary how accurate it is many times. Of course, if you’re thinking of selling, always call Sande or Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 and we’ll be glad to visit your home and verify its value. We’ll show you how we go out and find the buyer. We don’t wait for the buyer to find you!

Happy Easter, and Happy House Hunting!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

We track 12 major measures plus some other measures to evaluate health and direction of the local real estate market. 10 SW Florida real estate measures were negative in February, which is better than the 11 in January.

We look at things like closed sales, prices, time on market, inventory levels, pending inventory, time to sell, total money in motion, and others. It gives us a pretty good indicator of where the market is and where the market is headed. This is a blueprint for sellers on how to market their property today.

We’re able to sit at the kitchen table and show sellers exactly where we are. Sellers armed with this information can make decisions that will insure a sale and put more money in their pocket at closing. Sellers who ignore key statistics generally sell for less while their home sits on the market longer. Some never sell at all, and that’s a shame because people who list their home generally want to sell, and for top dollar.

We’ve still got a pretty good market for those that know their numbers. We have a good selection of buyers. Season has been good. We’ve sold lots of homes. Unfortunately, season can mask the underlying weaknesses this year compared to last year. When all the visitors go home in a few weeks, you may find lots of sellers who didn’t sell this season wondering what happened.

What happened was the market shifted and because it was season, sellers didn’t notice. Marketing becomes even more critical in a shifting market, along with proper pricing. Getting ahead of the game is paramount. If you were playing a basketball game with 5:00 left in the game, would you rather be up 10 points or down 10 points?

The game is not over, but our seasonal visitors will be leaving. If you didn’t market your home to the max, and if it wasn’t priced properly, you might feel like you’re down 10 points. Not ideal. You’re behind, but not out. Homes sell year-round.

If you’re thinking of placing your home on the market, you need an agent that knows exactly where we are in the market, and exactly what to do to get your home sold. If you’re looking for top dollar, you need aggressive marketing. Sure, you can price your way into a sale just by being the absolute best value around. If you want fair market value, that may take aggressive marketing along with a pricing strategy.

When you sit down with an agent, go over the 12 market indicators. Look at the trend. Focusing on just one month can mislead you sometimes. If you did sell, where will you go? How soon would you like to be there? How does that compare with the average marketing time of the market, and your price range?

We have all these statistics so we can help you make the best decision for you. We have the aggressive marketing you’re looking for, whether you realize it or not. All Realtors do not market the same, just as they don’t price the same. Making a mistake on either can cost you thousands. It could even cost you a sale.

To get a rough estimate on what your home could sell for, go to www.SWFLHomevalues.com It’s free, and fast. It will give you a good idea, but it’s not perfect. That’s where we come in. No, we’re not perfect either, but we can give you a better idea than a computer can. We can also share with you the 12 real estate measures and show you an aggressive marketing plan nobody else can match.

You can always call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4 We’d love to answer your questions and get you to your next home.

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Saturday 1-4 PM

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10410 Prato Dr

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14077 Danpark Loop

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

13 High Point Cir #302

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