Southwest Florida Real Estate Archives - Page 46 of 83 - Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

Most of us will be out celebrating a 3 day weekend having fun enjoying our families and/or a little time off, as we should. Life is tough and we deserve it. Let’s not also forget why we have this holiday. Memorial Day originally started as Declaration Day. Several states lay claim to the first Memorial Day, and there was even dissent as the south refused to celebrate Memorial Day after the civil war.

While history can be fascinating, what’s even more important is the present. Memorial Day represents honoring those that have served our country. It’s always sad when some people refuse to honor certain veterans because they disagreed with a conflict or war. We owe our freedom to veterans. Our veterans didn’t get a chance to select which conflict or which war they would serve in. They just served, for us, for the United States of America, just because. They didn’t ask questions. Nobody would listen if they did.

First responders at the Boston Marathon or the World Trade Center didn’t get the chance to pick which disaster they’d respond to, they just did what was needed regardless of how scarred they’d be for dealing with the scene. The same is true with our veterans.

While you’re out there having fun this weekend, take a moment to visit a grave, or say thanks to an existing veteran, or just remember in your own special way. It’s the least we can do. We honor our fallen, but let’s also celebrate life.

Memorial Day in SW Florida 2015

Personally I’m thankful our SW Florida real estate market is doing well. Really I’m thankful for so much more. This past week RE/MAX laid to rest one of the best brokers SW Florida has ever seen. George Sayers was loved by all and made a difference in so many lives from New Jersey to Florida. Life is precious. Celebrate precious moments this weekend with friends and family. You never know in the blink of an eye when things can change.

We do not know how much time we have here on earth. All we control really is how we treat others, how we enjoy the time we have, and how we honor those that served for our benefit.

So please, take a moment to thank a veteran, or a surviving spouse. Display your flag. Hug your kids. Say I love you to a loved one. Pick up the phone and call someone dear to you that you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Say all the things you’d want to say if today was your last day on earth. If that blink comes, you won’t get that chance tomorrow.

Remember that our veterans didn’t always get that chance. Most were separated from their families in a foreign place. Most spoke by written mail and an occasional phone call, and they sacrificed for us.

For us at home enjoying our freedom and our weekend, we have it all. It’d be such a shame not to pay some respect. Such a shame not to say things you’ve wanted to say.

Remember it’s up to us to take care of each other. After thanking a veteran, the biggest honor we can bestow is to make SW Florida a better place. Enjoy your weekend, spend time with family, and honor America, a country of freedom worth fighting for!

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SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Visit our Google+ Business Page

Feel free to view our Virtual Tours

New Riverfront Rental at Oasis

Check out our Buyer Advantage Program

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

By Brett Ellis

RE/MAX Realty Group – Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

The Ellis team is proud to re-introduce our Ellis Team Buyer’s Advantage Program. This is a program we used many years ago when we were the first agents to put the MLS on our website. We’re bringing it back and adding some valuable features we think you’ll find useful.

How would you like to be notified about upcoming listings Before they come on the market? The Ellis Team lists and sells a lot of property because our marketing works. Sande and Brett go on a lot of listing appointments each week. We don’t take them all. Some sellers aren’t ready yet, or they simply aren’t willing to price their home at today’s market value. We only bring listings that will sell to the market. We’ve created a private website for buyers in our Buyer Advantage Program™ that will post the listing appointments we’re going on. Literally you’ll find out about upcoming listings even before we list them. If one meets your criteria, you can contact us and we’ll arrange for one of our buyer specialists to show it to you.

Our website is up to date so you’ll be able to search for Hot new listings in real-time. Many national websites have outdated or incorrect data which can be frustrating for a buyer. It’s terrible to find a home online only to find out it closed 2 months ago. Our website is tied into the MLS. As agents we have that privilege that national sites don’t always receive. We’re in a tight inventory market so every advantage helps.

Open House Pass- Have you ever visited open houses and been hounded by agents asking you to register? Of course that agent wants to follow-up with you about the open house. They’re just doing their job. If you don’t buy the open house they want to show you others. If you find an agent that’s friendly to work with this is all fine and good. The problem comes in when you visit several open houses in a day or month. Now you have several agents contacting you and hounding you to shop with them. This can get quite frustrating. We’ve solved that problem. We provide you with an Open House Pass that puts other agents on notice that you’re working with the Ellis Team at RE/MAX. Now you only have to forge one relationship with a great Realtor and you won’t have pesky agents hounding you for contact information. Your life will be simpler and your agent can listen to your needs and hone in on the property you’re looking for. In a low-inventory market it pays to not waste time starting that process all over again and again.

Free Reports- We’ve complied a series of buyer reports we’re getting ready to release. Members in the Buyer Advantage Program will have access to all of these reports and valuable information. Our reports cover things like how to make an offer when there are multiple offers on the property, how to best structure your offer, and what to look out for in the inspection process. Many buyers have mortgage questions as the process has changed in the past few years. We have Free reports for that.

The Ellis Team at RE/MAX takes buying and selling real estate seriously. It pays to work with a serious Realtor. Simply go to Ellis Team Buyer Advantage Program and sign up and we’ll add you to our Buyer Advantage Program as an added bonus. You’ll also gain access to the pre-listed property information, the Free reports, and the Open House pass along with future benefits we’ll be unveiling soon! You can always call us at 239-489-4042

Always call the Ellis Team, we’ll handle you with care!

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SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Visit our Google+ Business Page

Feel free to view our Virtual Tours

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

By Brett Ellis

RE/MAX Realty Group – Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

Southwest Florida Real Estate Market is Heating Up. Closed sales in March were up 24.7% over last year despite lower inventory levels. Single family inventory levels were down 9.8% and yet we saw a big jump in closed sales.

We’re tracking pending sales and they’re also up 7.9% which means closed sales in the coming months should also be strong. So what is different this year in 2015 versus last year?

Money has really come into the market. If you’ve been reading this column the past several years we’ve been telling people our market is healing, but it won’t be fully healed until money and capital fully return to the market. For many years cash sales drove this market at the bottom of the market.

Investors and people with money were able to take advantage of a depressed market. We had a market that was artificially too low and was below replacement cost. The builders couldn’t build at a loss.

This is all changing now and we’ve entered a new growth stage of the market. Lenders have begun to lend again and this is what ultimately fuels a market. When you only have cash buyers you don’t ever have a fully valued market. The same is true in the stock market, banking, currency exchanges, and economies.

This is one reason countries like Russia and virtually every country in the world seeks capital investment, to spur their economy. Leverage and capital is the fuel that drives growth. SW Florida is receiving some fuel right now and that’s a good thing.

In fact, 44.4% of all single family transactions are bought as cash is still on the high side. There is room for the lenders to really come in here and propel this cycle. Lending and availability of money is a good thing.

Some are afraid that lending will bring a return of the over-spending days like we had before the bust. The availability of capital we had back in 2005 was not good because anybody could obtain credit regardless of their ability to repay. The underlying assets were overvalued and the borrower was on shaky ground. It all crumbled as it was built on a house of cards.

This time is different. We don’t have thousands of homes built with no end user in sight. In fact, we have a shortage of homes for the end users. We don’t have speculators flipping to another speculator who may wish to flip to yet another flipper. We have end users. We have buyers and we have actual tenants who need a home to live in.

So now that we have users, we have demand, we have little supply, and we have financing options, we have growth and opportunity. These are healthy signs and I’m happy the way this market has come back and done so in a reasonable and sustainable way.

Financing is the facilitator to growth. SW Florida appears to have several more good years of opportunity and sustainable growth ahead.

Buyers can find properties but they need to know where to look. Our website www.Topagent.com is a good first step, but sitting down with a buyer specialist is even more crucial because often times we know about product that isn’t in the MLS. New construction is available too, and it pays to have someone who knows the product and the process walk you through that.

If you’re a seller, the stars are aligned for you right now. To get top dollar it pays to work with an agent who understands the market and can guide you through contracts, pricing, and how to get financing for your property. There are options available but you have to know which one will work for your home and it can be complicated.

If you’re in the market to buy or sell, our website is a good resource. However, we suggest you give us a call and we can sit down in a relaxed atmosphere and put all the pieces of the puzzle together for you.

We’re easy to talk to and we like to help. Call us at 239-489-4042

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SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Visit our Google+ Business Page

Feel free to view our Virtual Tours

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

By Brett Ellis

RE/MAX Realty Group – Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

Official sales numbers were just released for the SW Florida real estate market and sellers will be pleased. Median home prices are up 18.9% over last year and average sales prices are up 30.8%. March median sales price came in at $219,938. This is the first time median sales prices have crossed over the $200,000 threshold since the decline of the local real estate market. People always ask us, is now the time to sell in SW Florida and what do I need to do to get my home ready to sell?

We’ll have a free report for potential home sellers at the end of this report that will answer the 2^nd question. In fact, we have 8 free reports and we’ll tell you how to get them.

Sellers may want to consider 2 pieces of information about the market. Sales prices are at a renewed high. I feel like saying all-time high because this is a new market. The old market reset years ago. However, since prices did hit these highs and then some years ago, I won’t call it all-time.

Secondly, inventory is down and possibly going lower. You can see by the Active Inventory Chart inventory is down significantly from last year. Sales in March shot up too so we expect April sales numbers to come in very well.

So the question is, is now the time to sell in SW Florida? The answer is yes from a statistical standpoint. However, you must weigh other factors, such as where are you going, is your house in shape to sell, do you owe more than your house is worth, and what do you need to know about the home selling process that may have changed since last time.

Interviewing agents can be a chore. All agents sound the same and sellers mistakenly think if their home is on the Internet that’s all it takes to sell. There is a big difference in the ways Realtors market online and offline. If the Realtor doesn’t understand the difference, how in the world is the seller supposed to know?

We have good news for you. We have a series of reports you can get for free that will answer many of your questions. We’ll even tell you which questions you should ask your Realtor before you sign any listing agreement.

The Free reports are:

1. The Ultimate Home Seller Checklist

2. What is Your Home Really Worth?

3. What 92% of Sellers Know About Listing a Home

4. The Six Best DIY Tips to Prep Your Home for Sale

5. How to Stage Your Home, Room by Room, to Sell

6. Three Tips for Selling Your Home Fast

7. Five Things No One Tells You About Selling Your Home

8. Six Homeowner Hacks You Can Put to Use when Selling

Rates are still low and buyers are swarming. You might not want to miss this market as many times there are several buyers for a home like yours. That sure beats when there are several homes for every buyer.

If you’d like to receive your Free Home Seller Reports, simply go to Find Out What Your Home is Worth Online It asks for your home address. In order to receive the reports please enter your email address and phone number so we can send them to you. It will also send you a computerized value of your home and will update you when values change.

Don’t get too hung up on the home’s value. The real value is in the reports. The computer does a pretty good job of estimating your value but it has not been inside your home and in a fast rising market sometimes values can go up faster than what computer reports.

If you’re seriously considering selling your home we can zero in on today’s best value for your home, so don’t worry. Just use the computer as a guide, not the real estate bible.

Of course, feel free to call us at 239-489-4042 We’ll be glad to help you buy or sell. Good luck and Happy Selling!

Southwest Florida Real Estate Video Market Update

We’ve updated some pages on our website and added a few new ones:

Shadow Wood Preserve

San Carlos Park Homes For Sale in Fort Myers

Danforth Lakes

Most people like a good deal, so it’s quite natural to assume that the company that charges the least for a service will maximize your profit. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The agent you choose to sell your home could cost you thousands.

This is the time of year when locals who have been swamped all season long begin to breathe and reflect on their housing situation. They ask questions like, has the market value on our home gone up? Could we afford to move into a bigger home, downsize to a smaller home, or move on the water?

The first thing people want to know is what is my home worth? The second is how much will it cost to sell and how much will I walk away from? The answers to these questions help answer the next question, where could we go and how much will that cost?

A good Realtor can help. Sometimes when people call our office the first question they ask is how much do you charge? If I wasn’t in this business it’d probably be the first question I’d ask too.

Since I am, I want to give an insiders point of view that will help prospective sellers. Given what I know, this should be the last question asked.

Proper pricing is important. You want to choose a Realtor who understands the market and can properly guide you so you’re working in reality. If your whole exercise in exploring a move is based on fantasy, you’ve wasted a lot of time and inconvenience.

Secondly, it doesn’t so much matter what the listing agent charges. It matters how much you net out at the closing. I tell people if I charged 20% commission but got my sellers 30% more than any other agent could, would that fee seem high? The answer is no, it’d be a bargain. The truth is we don’t charge 20% and we don’t get 30% more than the average agent.

However, we do sell our listings for more than the average agent. Some agents out there may charge less than other agents. The beauty is there is no set rate by law, and that’s a good thing. You’re free to choose who can put the most money in your pocket at closing, and that’s typically an experienced agent who does a lot of marketing and has excellent negotiating skills. The kind of negotiating skills that comes from thousands of transactions. Some agents only sell a few homes per year, so ask to see their track record.

Also ask to see their marketing. Owners assume that all newspaper ads are the same. Look at the frequency, and the size of your home in the ad. If you need a magnifying glass, chances are the buyer will to and won’t see it.

Is your property aggressively marketed online too? Would you know the difference? Sure, all Realtors will tell you your home will be marketed online, but what if there were some key differences the agent didn’t tell you about? What if the agent doesn’t really know and just repeats what the company tells them?

It pays to call someone who really does know. Selling your home for less than you could is like a hidden tax. You’ll never know what could have been. And how will you know you’re getting the best deal on your next home?

A great agent can help. If you’re considering making a move, call us at 239-489-4042 and sit down with us and we’ll guide you through all of it. Calling the wrong agent could cost you thousands. It could cost you the sale entirely and cause you to miss your dream home.

The Agent You Choose to Sell Your Home Could Cost You Thousands

You can get a ballpark value on our website www.Topagent.com but keep in mind that’s only a ballpark. We’d prefer to come out and see your home and go over the details for better accuracy. Not every agent in our company or in town works the way we do. Always Call the Ellis Team at RE/MAX 239-489-4042

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Visit our Google+ Business Page

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

New Construction For Sale

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

By Brett Ellis

Ellis Team – Keller Williams Realty Fort Myers & the Islands

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

1520 Royal Palm Square Blvd #160

Fort Myers, FL 33919

239-489-4042

Circle the date. April 21, 2015 things are going to change in a significant way. These are the words directly from Google. We’re talking about Mobilegeddon, and whether you’re a real estate agent, business owner, or consumer, you will be affected on April 21. So we ask the question, is SW Florida ready for mobilegeddon?

Since 2013 I’ve been speaking to agents nationwide about the importance of having a mobile friendly website. Google has stated how important mobile is and they do not want to rank websites high if the consumer doesn’t have a good experience on their mobile device when they get there.

Last year we told readers that consumers were spending more time on the web from their mobile then they were on their desktop computer. ComScore data proves this out, and many webmasters who view their logs will tell you mobile is more popular now than desktop.

The problem is, many websites are not setup to handle mobile visitors properly. Portent recently crawled 25,000 sites and found that 40% of those sites were not mobile friendly.

If you’re on your mobile device you can do a search in Google and it will return results. It will say if the results are mobile friendly, but you better pay attention to those results. The companies you see today may not be the same companies you see on April 21. If they do not have the mobile friendly seal of approval from Google, they are going to drop out of the search results. This is significant.

Mobilegeddon will be a larger algorithm change than either the Panda or Penguin updates. If this is all Greek to you, it’s OK. Consumers don’t need to know all the details, but local businesses do.

Consumers who are hiring a real estate agent should ask questions about the agent’s web presence and whether it’s mobile friendly. The public tends to think all agents are the same and all advertising is the same.

I can assure you all agents do not have the same negotiating skills, nor do they have the same marketing skills. Pretty soon we’re going to find out which agents win in the online marketing business.

If you’re a buyer or seller, Mobilegeddon is going to matter to you. The buyers will be directed to sites that are mobile friendly. According to one site buyers are 53% more likely to purchase from mobile while they are shopping.

Imagine buyers driving around looking at neighborhoods. When they see a neighborhood or sign they like, do you think they write it down to pull up later or do they inquire on their Smartphone? The answer is they are not waiting.

The Ellis Team is receiving many mobile leads per week. The registration form even says Mobile lead. We’re receiving phone calls directly from the online information as well.

Buyers today want immediate information. They go on Smartphones first. If they call, they don’t want voicemail. They want to talk to a live person. They can get general info online in an instant, so your systems better be designed to answer that call when the buyer is ready. If the agent isn’t ready when the buyer is, they’ll find another agent. Statistics show buyers and sellers work with the first person they talk to 70% of the time.

If you’re a seller, you’ll want to list with an agent who’s ready for Mobilegeddon and has systems and people to answer the phone. If you miss either step, you miss the buyer. Buyers want the same thing. They don’t like wasting time, and they want an agent who is up to today’s way of doing business.

Our website is mobile friendly. www.Topagent,com You can search for homes, find out your home’s value, ready weekly articles, and get market statistics on your desktop, tablet, or Smartphone. Do some searches on your Smartphone this weekend, then try again on April 21st. What you see may be different.

You can call us at 239-489-4042

Bella Casa Closeout Event — Bella Casa Luxury Condominiums Fort Myers, FL

Don’t forget April is the Bella Casa Luxury Condo Closeout Event. Call to get a great deal and be sure to check out the resort style pool, tennis court, clubhouse. Best of all Condo fees are only $220/mo and no CDD

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

New Construction For Sale

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

Traffic on the roads has slowed down in town, but traffic in the real estate community hasn’t. We’ve listed some homes and had contracts on them in short time. So we asked the question, did the dates for season change this year?

Last week two deals fells out and I was kind of mad because the seller had taken their home off the market for 2-3 weeks in March only to have a buyer decide they’re not buying in Lee County. The sellers had just given up most of March for a flaky buyer.

The good news is within a few days we found a cash buyer with another cash buyer in waiting and the property will close near the original closing date so the seller is happy. I’ve spoken with several real estate agents who tell similar stories and they feel the buyers are still engaged and looking.

I decided to delve into the pending sales statistics to see if what I’m seeing is true overall, and the answer looks to be it is. As I’ve stated before agents tend to judge the market by how their own deals are going rather than looking big picture.

I looked at new pending sales in February which is the latest data released and they were up 21% this year, as you can see from the chart. This has been a positive trend dating back to September 2014.

Did the Dates for Season Change This Year?

Almost every statistical category has improved over last year, from median days on market, percent of list price received, pending inventory, active listings, and month’s supply of inventory.

I’m not sure you can call a 6.1% decrease in active listings an improvement because we need more, but it does signal we’re in a great market for sellers.

Because February data doesn’t always tell the story in April I decided to search the MLS for pending sales right now. This week it came back at 2,531 pending listings, up from 2,386 back in February.

I’m thankful for all the pending sales we have right now, but I’m eve more thankful for the two that just sold again in April after having their deal fall out. That is a wonderful sign.

We have several new construction deals in place too as some buyers just could not find what they were looking for in the resale market. Sometimes it just doesn’t exist. Buyers are surprised to find that when they enter their search criteria sometimes there is only 3-4 matches. Sometimes it’s zero.

This is why it’s important to have your finances in order so when you spot that house that matches your criteria you’re in a position to pounce. Other buyers just like you are also waiting for that home to hit the market. You cannot assume you are the only buyer.

It’s kind of like dating on one of those Internet dating sites. When a new attractive person enters the site they’re going to get immediate interest. In real estate, the best homes go fast and the one’s that sit there are the unattractive and overpriced homes.

Just like dating, there’s a match for everyone, you just have to play in your league. If you’re an overweight balding middle age man that drinks beer and sits on the couch all day you’re probably not going to attract that active in-shape 25 year old model. She’s going to end up with someone in her league, not yours.

In real estate, all homes will find a buyer at the right price. Even if the home is unattractive someone will buy it. You just have to price it in the right league, or get off the couch and work on it. When price meets value, a home will sell.

Don’t wait when you see your home come on the market. Feel free to search the MLS at www.Topagent.com

If you’re selling, call an experienced match maker who can help you play in your league. We’ll get your home sold and you’ll be on your way to having fun. 239-489-4042

Call us to sell your home. 239-489-4042

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

Check out Bella Casa Condominiums. We’ll be happy to show you this project in South Fort Myers

Other Resources

Fun Things to do in SW Florida

New Construction For Sale

Fishing and Boating in SW Florida

Lee County Florida Sports

SW Florida Entertainment

Ellis Team

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

239-489-4042

Nationally I’ve been reading stories about writers concern there may be another housing bubble forming. Anytime prices rise people wonder when it will peak, and anytime prices fall people wonder when it will bottom. It’s just human nature. So the question is, has the SW Florida real estate market run out of stem?

Latest national statistics released this week show pending sales up 3.1% despite colder weather up North. With an improving economy and still historic low interest rates it would be hard to argue the market could cool off.

Another report suggests home prices are outpacing wages which could damper prices. This is true. Sometimes home prices rise faster on low supply, and when this rise outpaces wages eventually this can slow price growth until wages catch back up. It’s not totally a supply/demand market as other economic forces will limit prices beyond simply supply.

As you can see from the attached chart, locally our prices have more than doubled in the past 4 years. SW Florida has been on a good run, so naturally people may wonder if there is a bubble forming locally as well.

The good news is we don’t think so. Are 25% price gains year after year sustainable? That answer is no. February 2015 median sales prices were up 6.5% over 2014. That is sustainable. Traditionally average annual price gains have been 3-5%.

It’s quite natural our prices have doubled because really they fell too far and too fast in the bust. That was an over-reaction due to a banking crisis and banks dumping assets on the market.

Banks are lending again and they no longer have the properties to dump on the market. Prices fell below replacement cost which means they were artificially too low. We think prices are back to a healthy balance between replacement value, supply, demand, and economic conditions.

The future looks better for SW Florida than does the rest of the country. The US economy is growing again and that’s good news for everyone but it isn’t growing at the pace it should be. By all accounts Florida is, and SW Florida is leading the way.

We have below state and national unemployment averages. Our weather and lifestyle is an alluring attraction to employers and employees alike.

Home building is back which will add jobs to our area. All signs point to a good economic climate in Florida for the foreseeable future. The prognosis may be for measured, sustainable gains which are always preferable.

Season was busy. Have you noticed traffic has lightened up substantially this past week? We’ll be watching March sales numbers when they’re released later in April. We think they’ll be pretty decent.

All eyes locally turn to the next few months. We’ll be watching pending sales in April and May and this will give us a pretty god sign of what 2015 will bring. So far it’s been a good season, but we have noticed a few buyers showing indifference this year compared to years past. This is always the case, but there is a general feeling amongst some buyers that the big gains are over and our market is back to fully priced.

Nobody is afraid prices could go backwards, but they’re not afraid prices will be 50% higher in 2 years either. It’s causing pause and normalcy, even in a low inventory market.

If you’re a seller and you’ve been waiting, now may be a good time to sell. Our prices are up and we don’t have inventory, Yet! That could change one day when our market flattens out, whenever that day is. We don’t have that crystal ball. We just feel it’s more likely to flatten than go up or down substantially. Better yet, let’s just keep the truck rolling at normal sustainable gains and call it a day!

Call us to sell your home. 239-489-4042 Feel free to search the MLS at www.Topagent.com

A few weeks ago our real estate market update told you how new pending sales were on the rise and how that could lead to increased sales in February and March. Official new pending sales in February were up 21% and overall pending inventory was up 8.6% in February 2015 over last year’s numbers. That sounds pretty encouraging for upcoming March sales numbers when the final numbers come in.

I’ve talked with real estate agents that didn’t feel like this January or February was particularly great, but agents tend to judge the market based upon their own sales versus the market’s sales. I can say back in January and February and some buyers did seem on the fence and indifferent, but the numbers don’t bear that out. The numbers suggest buyers were bullish.

March Real Estate Market Update

March is a different story. Buyers in March do seem interested and are buying. It will be interesting to see what official sales numbers look like. We have our first indications of inventory levels and sales levels from February. Official numbers were just released this week.

Single family home sales this year were 861 compared to 779 last year and 886 in 2013. They were 992 in February 2012 but we had more inventory to sell back then.

If you look at the Active Inventory graph you’ll notice our inventory is well below previous year’s levels. In fact, single family home inventory is down 6.1% last year, and if you remember we were complaining about low inventory levels last year.

Median sale prices are up 6.5% this February and averages sale prices were down 2.6% We generally use the median home prices because it is more stable and less influenced by one or two large sales.

We think agent’s attitudes will be up in March for two reasons. The first is the numbers indicate the market is doing well. Secondly, buyers on the street have stepped up in March and the feeling on the street is positive. There’s an old saying “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” This time around I think the facts will match the stories.

We like to stick with the facts, although I know it’s human nature for people to work off emotions. There’s another old joke that asks the question “Do you know the difference between a recession and a depression?” The answer is, when your neighbor is unemployed it’s a recession. When you’re unemployed it’s a depression.

The same goes for agents. When their business is up the market is good, and when their business is down the market must be down.

When you’re interviewing agents, be sure they’re using market statistics and not general feelings. General market sentiment can be powerful, but there’s no substitute for actual real estate market facts.

If our numbers are down and the market isn’t, we don’t tell people the market is down. We know we just need to work harder. When the market is great, it’s not the time to slack off either. Here’s one last old saying I’ll use. “It’s time to make hay while the sun is shining.”

Bottom line is there is no substitute for hard work. My grandpa and dad said if you were a hard worker you were a “Hoss” There’s also no substitute for facts and market knowledge.

When you combine market knowledge and hard work you have a recipe for success. You’ll notice some sellers will sell in a tough market and some sellers will not sell even in a Hot market. The difference is knowing the facts and doing the right thing at the right time.

We can help you do the right thing today. Simply call us at 239-489-4042 or visit our website at www.Topagent.com You can ask for “Hoss” and one of our team members will get to work for you.

Feel free to search the MLS at www.Topagent.com or call us to get your home sold. 239-489-4042

Visit our new San Carlos Park Homes page or Search for San Carlos Par Homes Here [idx-platinum-saved-link id =”4929-37543″ title =”san-carlos-park-homes-for-sale”]

Consumers, lenders, title companies, and real estate agents probably don’t all realize that big changes are coming down the pike and it will affect real estate closings in a big way later this year.

You’ll be hearing more about this issue this Spring and Summer as these new rules go into effect for closings starting August 1, 2015. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) which is a new entity instituted by the Obama administration dictates that mortgage documents are locked in at least 3 days before closing.

Big Changes Coming to the Closing Table

Lenders will have to use the new TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure form and this form must be given to consumers three days before closing along with the Municipal Lien Search results. Any change to the form requires the clock to start over which means many closings will be delayed.

Some would argue this concept would change the common practice of lenders sending mortgage documents to the title company the day of closing which forces buyers to scramble to get a wire or cashiers check just before closing and this is a good thing. They’d be right, in part. That would be a good thing, however there will be some unintended consequences and perhaps some lawsuits arising out of the implications of implementation.

This new rule shifts the burden from title companies to lenders to disclose the TILA. Lenders have not been used to communicating with all sides of the transaction. Typically that’s been the role of the title agent. Lenders had a hard enough time getting a file from clear to close to their closing department and then on to title company. This now adds an extra layer, and if they weren’t great before, they’ll be less than average going forward.

Realtors and sellers will gripe because any change will change the closing statement, which could dictate postponing closing. How will a seller plan for a closing on a certain day when they must turn around and close on another property the same day? Any change to the first closing resets the clock and postpones it three days, which will postpone subsequent closings. I remember one day years ago where we had 5 simultaneous closings on the same day. We had the buyer and seller on all 5 properties and we ran into an issue on closing number 3 at the closing table. If #3 didn’t happen, 4 and 5 wouldn’t either and we had buyers and sellers with packed trucks all waiting to close.

Today this closing might not take place. We scrambled with the loan officer and made it happen, but that absolutely could not happen after August 1. The buyer has no say in the matter either. These are new Federal regulations and no matter how much a buyer or seller is impacted by the new rules, it won’t matter. Buyers and sellers will be sweating out closings hoping lenders have the disclosures in on time and all documents ready for closing. If you like going to Vegas, you can bet with certainty that many closings will not happen on the day they’re supposed to. It’s just a fact and Realtors, buyers, and sellers better load up on their chill pills now, because there will be high demand and short supply on those pills around Aug 2nd.

Don’t forget Bella Casa is having a close-out sale this weekend. Special incentives and financing are available on brand new 1, 2 and 3 bedroom luxury condos in South Fort Myers. Call our office for details 239-489-4042 or stop by the sales center located on Plantation Rd 1/4 mile North of Daniels. Open Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-6

Feel free to search the MLS at www.Topagent.com or call us to get your home sold. 239-489-4042

Don’t forget this weekend is the Big Bella Casa Luxury Condominium Close-Out Event

Fort Myers Real Estate and Homes For Sale

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