Category Archives: Fort Myers Beach

Southwest Florida Real Estate Inventory Supply Increases in 4th Qtr

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The Southwest Florida real estate inventory supply increases in the 4th qtr.  All price ranges except two increased with the most pronounced increases occurring in the $400,000 and up range.

Southwest Florida real estate inventory supply increases in 4th Qtr

In December, the $400k-600k range shot up almost 2 months from 9.34 months in September to 11.15 months currently.  The $600k-$1 Million shot up from 12.57 months to 14.69 currently.  That’s over a 2 month jump.  The biggest jump occurred in the $1 Million+ range where there was a 17.03 month supply back in September.  Today that number stands at 21.04 months.  That’s almost a 4 month jump in supply just since September.

Southwest Florida Real Estate Inventory Supply Increases

It pays to know where your home stands in the supply chain.  It tells you how aggressive you must be when selling your home.  The overall market stands at 5.65 months which is a healthy number.  People read headlines and hear there is a 5.65 month supply, so homes must be selling fast.  They figure with homes selling so fast it’s probably easy to stick a sign in the yard and sell it.

Even at the lower price ranges there are still many homes that do not sell, because they are over-priced.  If they were priced correctly and properly marketed, they would sell.  The demand is there, at the correct price.

As we go higher in price the demand is still there, it’s just that the supply is even greater.  Recently more homes are coming to the market than are selling, hence why we have increasing supply.  We can’t look at the overall market and assume all homes are selling the exact same.  Just as we can’t assume that all cities in Florida are behaving the exact same.  Real estate is local, and it is segmented.

Certain cities or neighborhoods sell better than others.  This can be due to economic factors, or perhaps location.  The closer to beaches, or top schools can affect values.

Lee County is getting ready to change how children are selected for schools starting in 2018.  This may put an end to the zoned system and busing system as we know it.  Children will go to schools closer to where they live, and this could affect values.

Segments also affect the market.  Sometimes the low end is red-hot, and other times the mid to upper markets make a comeback.  Generally speaking, the lower the price the greater the demand as more people can afford lower prices.  Not everyone can afford high-end real estate.  Just because Southwest Florida Real Estate Inventory Supply Increases in some price ranges doesn’t mean it increases for all ranges.  In fact, a few decreased.

Right now we have an affordable housing crunch in Southwest Florida. Rents are high, and so are median sales prices relative to what the average working person can afford.  It makes it difficult to find housing close to where you work.   We saw this back in the housing boom too.  This doesn’t mean our market is over-inflated.  It just means there is a cap to how much more and how fast it can rise until incomes pick up.

The big price gains may be over, unless the economy comes roaring back.  Our US economy has essentially had free money for the past 8 years and it’s done nothing except help the stock market.  If jobs and economic activity return like it’s believed they will post-election, our real estate market  could be in for more good times.  If nothing changes, we could be in for flat to modest gains.

We think 2017 is going to be a year of change.  Home sales may pick up even though rates will continue to rise.  Proper pricing and aggressive marketing will become even more important, and the people who act quickest will save the most money when rates rise.

You can search the MLS for Free at www.LeeCountyOnline.com.  Our database has all the homes, and it’s updated every 5 minutes directly from the MLS.  It will even notify you of new homes or price changes if you save your search.  You can always call us at 239-489-4042 and we’ll be happy to discuss your buying or selling options.

 

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

December 2016 Ellis Team Seller’s Club Report

 

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Ellis Team Featured Listings

Ellis Team Assisted For Sale By Owner Listings

San Carlos Park Pool Home $269,500

Gateway 5 Bedroom Pool Home on Lake

Southwest Florida Listing Inventory Rises in October

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Southwest Florida listing inventory rises in October to 5,157 units, up from 4,829 in September.  That is a 6.79% rise in just one month.  We went back to last year and noticed listing inventory rose 6.09% those same months, so inventory is rising a bit faster this year.

Home inventory was up 16.64% this past September over 2015 and in October it’s up 17.42%.  We’ve been mentioning all year 2016 has been a leveling off and balancing market, so rising inventory isn’t surprising.  In fact, it was predicted.

November statistics won’t come out until next week.  We’ve been studying preliminary numbers and from what we can tell, median and average sales price are going to be fairly even.  Perhaps a small gain on median price and small loss on average price.  However, we can only track Lee County numbers submitted to our MLS.

If our numbers are correct we may see an uptick in number of closed sales in November.  Also frustrating is the fact that they go back and adjust last year’s numbers, so that can influence predictions as well.

Southwest Florida Listing Inventory Rises

Southwest Florida Listing Inventory Rises

We searched active homes on market on December 13th and we found 5,104.  If we add back in the pending and contingent listings we have 5,955. We’ll be watching the official November stats when they are released next week.  As you can tell from the chart, the trendline is up slightly.

Some people believe we’ll see more homes hit the market as interest rates rise.  Others believe we may see less as sellers may decide to stay in their low-cost mortgage.  I can tell you one thing.  If you currently own and your home no longer works for you, the time to list is now.

We need to get your home sold and you into your new home before rates rise again.  They’ve already risen about .75%.  This will cost you more to finance the same amount, so waiting will cost you tens of thousands over the life of your new loan.

Did you know you can search the entire MLS from our website?   It has all the homes, and it’s updated every 5 minutes, so you’ll be the first to know about new homes as they enter the market or change their price.  You can even save your search, and have multiple saved searches in case you’re looking at different options.  We even have a free tool to find out what your home is worth online.

The Ellis Team is also busy meeting with potential sellers.  We counsel sellers on how to get top dollar for their home and how their home should be positioned and marketed in the marketplace.  Sellers are finding out there is a difference and listing with the wrong Realtor can cost them thousands.

Don’t list with a Realtor that doesn’t bring you top dollar.  You might ask, what’s our secret for getting top dollar?  We’d love to show you.  It’s not by accident, it’s by design.

Let us sit down with you and show you how our 30+ years in the market combined with today’s latest technology and aggressive marketing is making a difference for our sellers.  If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.

Our team is growing.  We have thousands of buyers in our database looking to purchase.  If you’re an agent looking to grow your business, give us a call.  If you’re a potential seller looking to sell before rates go up, give us a call too.  Put our experience and wisdom to work for you.

We’ve been through changing markets before.  Rising rates change the game and knowing how to help buyers and sellers can be the difference to keeping your deals together and saving everybody money.  You can call us at 239-489-4042.  If you’re considering selling, ask for Sande or Brett Ellis.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Southwest Florida Real Estate Market Update December 2016

Ellis Team Introduces the For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program

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Recently the Ellis Team has sold a few For Sale By Owners in addition to our normal sales and it got us to thinking.  What if we could help more For Sale By Owners sell their home?  We thought about it and we came up with the Ellis Team For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program.

We’re creating a special website of For Sale By Owner listings.  Sellers  can still market their property on their own and if they find a buyer, great.  They also get some additional marketing by the Ellis Team and a chance to open their home to a larger audience.

For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program

Sometimes For Sale By Owners just want to try selling their home themselves.  They want to save the commission, and they don’t personally know a great Realtor, so why not try selling themselves first?

If I had a house to sell and didn’t know the real estate business like I do, I’d probably try to sell my home on my own too.  Who can blame an owner from trying to put the most money in their pocket from the sale of their own home?

We’ll put the For Sale By Owner in a special section of our website. This informs our database of buyers that we have other listings not in MLS that might suit the buyer.  Many buyers are leery of working with a FSBO because they feel at a disadvantage. Buyers don’t have someone guiding them through the process, writing the contract, organizing inspections, financing, etc.

All of the listings in the For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program offer guidance to the buyer so they can feel more comfortable purchasing one of these homes.  It also opens up the inventory to homes they might not have seen otherwise.  Most For Sale By Owners are hard to find and not well advertised.  They rely on for sale signs and inexpensive websites and social media to sell their home, so buyers could miss out on opportunities.

For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program

All listings in the For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program have agreed to work with an Ellis Team agent should we find a buyer.  This is a win/win for the seller and buyer. The owner can still attempt to sell on their own and they receive benefit of working with us to an expanded group of buyers.

Statistics show over 90% of For Sale By Owners give up and hire a Realtor.  All we ask is that if the owner gives up and later on decides to hire a Realtor, they agree to interview the Ellis Team for the job at that time.  They don’t have to hire us, just give us a shot.

The Ellis Team has brought thousands of buyers and sellers together over the years and this program just expands on that.  We can even work out a program if the seller finds the buyer we’ll help for a nominal fee.

Check out the Ellis Team For Sale By Owner Assisted Listing Program online.  We’ll be adding For Sale By Owners and information to the website in the coming weeks.  Buyers can check out these upcoming by owner listings too in case it meets their criteria.

We Find the Buyers

This new program is in addition to our full blown, cutting edge marketing system of our listings.  The Ellis Team sells homes 19.7% faster than the average agent and we sell our homes for more money.  Our marketing goes out and finds the buyer instead of waiting for the buyer to find your home.  We put more money in our seller’s pockets, and isn’t that what it’s all about?

If you’re thinking of selling, give the Ellis Team a call.  We’d love to sit down with you and interview for the job.  And if you’d like to try it yourself first, give us a call anyway.  We can be your backup plan if the home doesn’t sell.  As long as you’re interviewing Realtors, you might as well interview the best!

Feel free to search the MLS, get neighborhood market reports, and find out what your home is worth at www.LeeCountyOnline.com  Or call us at 239-489-4042.  Ask for Sande or Brett.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update December 2016

Check out Ellis Team Featured Listings

 

Related For Sale By Owner Articles

For Sale By Owner Sales at All-Time Low  Nov 2016

For Sale By Owner Pitfalls  July 2014

Time to Give Thanks in SW Florida

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By the time you read this article Thanksgiving will be a distant memory as attention turns to holiday shopping, upcoming family get togethers, office parties, etc.  We thought it might be an appropriate time to give thanks in SW Florida before the holiday rush.

Give Thanks in SW Florida

Give Thanks in SW Florida

I’m thankful the election is over.  I was over it months ago really and Election Day couldn’t get here soon enough.  Now that the election is over, we can reflect on what the results might mean for our real estate market.

Interest rates are rising.  This was the case regardless of who was elected president, so we have some headwind there that doesn’t help.  However, rates are still very low and shouldn’t pose a big problem anytime soon.

We are hopeful parts of Dodd-Frank will be repealed.  This would help the financing market as onerous regulations have made lenders cautious about lending.  The finance industry was to loose before the run-up and they’ve been too tight since.

Appraisal regulations are terrible.  We’d like to see these revamped as they don’t serve the buyers or the banks well.  They’re forcing buyers to lose homes to cash buyers or put more money down when the home doesn’t appraise.  It’s a shame because if the buyer loses out because the home doesn’t appraise and a cash buyer comes in and pays what the previous buyer contracted to pay, it proves the home was really worth it.  New regulations within the last few years prevent appraisers from reaching actual value, especially on homes that are highest in the neighborhood.  Just because there are not comps at that higher price doesn’t mean home isn’t worth it.  It just means a home that size perhaps hadn’t come on the market until now.

We’re already hearing Apple and Ford may build products in the US that were previously slated to be built out of the country.  This is good news.  We need manufacturing jobs to come back to the US.  Lowering corporate income taxes raises the tax base as more companies do business here, and they hire US job seekers versus lower paying jobs somewhere else.  It’s a win-win for the US.  More jobs mean a healthier real estate market.

We’d like to see the Affordable Care Act reworked so the coverage is actually affordable.  We talk to buyers who cannot afford to purchase a home because health care costs have gone up so much.  The Affordable Care Act didn’t do much to contain costs, only premiums on those that qualify for subsidies.  This didn’t address the problem.  We need to control costs, deliver a better product, and make it affordable to more people.  It is our hope that the president and congress can work together to solve this issue.

Right now many employers will not hire full-time workers.  Some small businesses cannot afford to pay under Obama Care either, so it’s a double-whammy.  Repealing and replacing that law could fix this and allow businesses to hire full-time people, which will help the economy and real estate markets across the country.

We’re not here to argue who would have made a better president, or whether the popular vote or Electoral College is best.  Now that we have a president, our focus is on what we can do to get the economy going again.  We’ve basically had free money for the last 8 years and that didn’t help like you would think.  Change is required, and change is on the way.

We think we have the potential to kick-start this real estate market.  It will only happen if the economy takes off.  Be thankful change is coming, and let’s all hope and pray that change will kick-start this economy.

You can search our website at www.LeeCountyOnline.com for some great bargains in SW Florida.  You can also find out what your home is worth online for Free!  If you’d like to talk to us, we can be reached at 239-489-4042

Don’t forget about our Ready For a Yeti promotion.  Enter to win a Yeti cooler.  Details available on our Ellis Team Facebook Page

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update December 2016

For Sale By Owner Sales at All-Time Low

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Only 8% of recent home sales were FSBO sales which indicates for sale by owner sales at all-time low for the 2nd straight year.

For Sale By Owner Sales at All-Time Low

Most for sale by owners want to try and see if they can save the commission, and who could blame them.  Everyone wants to save money. What matters most is how much is in your pocket at closing.

The average FSBO gives up after 2-3 weeks when they get no showings or so many showings and no offers that they get tired of the process.  They don’t know who they are letting in their home and what their motivation is.  If it’s risky for real estate agents’ security, just imagine how risky it is for a sale by owner.

We know that 92% of all sales go through an agent.  Most sellers don’t realize that only 4% of buyers viewing their home are qualified to buy it.  Some don’t have the income.  Others don’t have the credit necessary to purchase.  A large percentage has locked equity, meaning they must sell something before they can purchase.  This requires an agent to solve that problem.  It is very frightening to sell and buy simultaneously and to coordinate financing on both properties and all the closing details when you don’t know what you’re doing.

Buyers and sellers have fears and all these must be met.  A for sale by owner can’t do it.  Buyers don’t trust sellers because they have fears, just like the seller does.  Somebody with knowledge and people skills must manage all this.

Quite often we get sellers who contact us telling us they’ll pay us a certain percent to sell their home.  They mistakenly believe they’ll save part of the commission doing this, essentially becoming their own listing agent.

First off, they won’t have an agent representing them.  Secondly, they won’t have an agent marketing their home.  We go out and create buyers for each of our listings.  We target buyers online by the inventory we have.  When we don’t have the sale by owner in inventory, we aren’t out creating buyers for that home.

Real estate today isn’t like the old days where you put up a sign, placed it in MLS, maybe took out a generic ad in paper, and hoped someone else would sell it.

We Target the Buyers

Reaching buyers today is more sophisticated.  We buy the data and target the buyers.  We have the ability to search for buyers based upon their income, age group, lifestyle, whether they’re likely to make a move, etc.

Let’s say we list a property in a 55+ community.  It would do no good to target 30 year olds when they can’t live there.  We can target 55+ yr old buyers.  Or perhaps we list a property with tennis courts.  We can target buyers who are interested in playing tennis. The same is true for waterfront homes, golf course homes, gated communities, etc.

We go out and find buyers based upon our seller’s needs.  If a for sale by owner thinks they’re going to save part of the commission by offering all agents a fee to sell their home, they’ll be missing  on the prime benefit of listing with an agent.

For Sale By Owner Sales at All-Time Low

Two separate studies show for sale by owners receive 16% less than properties sold with an agent.  By giving away 16% are they really saving anything?  No, it’s costing them not to use an agent.

If you doubt us, go ahead and try it for a few weeks.  Then call us at 239-489-4042.  Or just call us upfront.  If we put a lot more money in your pocket at closing because we attract more buyers, we don’t cost you anything.  Imagine selling in an online auction.  Do you think you’ll receive more if you have 1,000 qualified buyers versus only 1?  Let us open the door to finding good qualified buyers for you.

Visit our website and search for your dream home www.LeeCountyOnline.com or find out what your property is worth.  Good luck and Happy Home Selling!

See Also:  FSBO and Discount Broker Sales at Record Lows

The Ellis Team now marketing Useppa Island Homes

Listing Inventory Rises Slightly

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The last few weeks we’ve been bringing readers up to speed on prices and where they’re headed as well as closings for 2016.  This week we decided to focus on listings.  We’ve been reporting that listing inventory rises slightly for months and here is the latest graph to illustrate that.

Listing inventory is seasonal.  For some reason, more sellers decide to list in season than other times.  I don’t know if they perceive there are more buyers here in season or perhaps they come back to SW Florida and decide to list.  For whatever reason is does go up in season which makes using the trend line a little complicated.

Listing Inventory Rises Slightly

We did add the trend line which does show a rise in inventory going forward.  Year over year numbers are up each month so this is accurate.  The real question is going to be, with slowing sales, rising rates, and stagnant home prices, what will happen in 2017?

Listing Inventory Rises Slightly

The amount of inventory in 2017 will most likely affect home prices as much as interest rates do.  We’ve seen rising prices up until this year partly because listing inventory has been so low for so many years.  As new construction and existing home inventory begins to rise, we’re seeing prices level off. We’re not sure if it’s the chicken or the egg.  Does listing inventory rise because prices stagnate or do prices stagnate because inventory is rising?

We think they go hand in hand and affect each other.  The SW Florida real estate market is totally balanced right now.  You might say it’s a perfectly healthy market.  Buyers and sellers are at an equal advantage right now.  In the lower price ranges, it’s a seller’s market and in the upper ranges it’s a buyer’s market.  The mid-market is balanced.

Buyers, sellers, and agents alike complain when the market is skewed too far in any one direction.  It is not often we can say the market is perfectly balanced, but at the end of 2016 I think we can.  Our market is like a teeter totter and it is straight right now.

As you know, it doesn’t take much to alter a teeter totter and they don’t stay straight for long.  Our market has been slowly moving from a seller’s market to balanced.  It could go either way from here.  It depends on interest rates, consumer confidence, and the economy.

What Role Will Election Play?

We think the election results will go a long way to resolving some of this.  Interest rates will probably rise in 2017.  Consumer confidence will be swayed by the economy and confidence in the election results.

Who holds the presidency?  Who controls the Senate, and the House?  Is the election in dispute?  Is the winner under investigation and facing indictment?  We don’t know how the election will turn out.  Nobody knows how the winner and loser will react post election.  We don’t know who will control congress.  You’re witnessing is the craziest election we’ve ever seen, and could get crazier after the election.

All we do know is we have uncertainty.  Uncertainty may hold back interest rates for a while, but it may also hold back the economy.  We don’t control any of this.  All we can do is advise our clients and help them make the best real estate decisions for their family.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling, call the SW Florida real estate authority, the Ellis Team, 239-489-4042  or visit our MLS website.  While we may not be able to tell you who will win the election, we can advise you on your real estate decisions.  Use our website to find out how much your home is worth for Free or search the MLS.  Neighborhood market reports are available for neighborhoods you’re interested in.

And be sure to buy some popcorn this weekend because next Tuesday will be must-see TV.  Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

Open House this Weekend

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Sunday 1-4 PM

10951 Championship Dr

 

 

 

 

 

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SW Florida Real Estate Shift is On

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Real estate shifts are the natural ebb and flow of the market.  The real estate market never stays constant.  It is affected by supply and demand, employment, the economy, interest rates, weather, political forces, and more.  Our world is in a constant state of shift, so why would the real estate market be any different? We’ll show you why the SW Florida real estate shift is real and it is in effect.

Nobody would expect the stock market to stay the same each day.  People know that it goes up and down, and many times it does so in the same day.

Currently the SW Florida real estate shift is on.  Last week we reported that sales prices have been flat all year.  Some prices ranges have gone up and some have gone down, and overall the market is flat.  If you didn’t read last week’s article on about SW Florida home sellers  we’d encourage you to go back and read it as the graphs show perfectly what is going on with prices.

SW Florida Real Estate Shift is On

SW Florida Real Estate Shift

Today we’d like to focus on closed sales.  As you can see from the chart, closed sales are down in Lee County versus last year.  In fact, they’re down 9.04% year over year.

We have rising inventory, declining sales, and stagnant home prices.  I’d call that a shift.  It’s nothing to worry about or blatant in the numbers, but something to be aware of going forward.

In a shifting market, marketing is more important than ever.  To get top dollar your home must compete and stand out.  It must do so in three ways.

Everyone knows if they wish to sell something it pays to have interest from more than just one party.  Imagine selling an item online.  Would you rather have 1,000 bidders or just 1 bidder for your item?  Of course, everyone would choose multiple bidders when selling.  The same is true in real estate.  You don’t necessarily need multiple bidders; however, you better expose the home to multiple parties.  Everyone would agree that 100% exposure equals top dollar.  Anything less may net you less than top dollar.

Secondly, while marketing is most important, no amount of marketing will sell an overpriced home.  We could spend a million dollars marketing a property.  If it is worth $500,000 and we price it at $1 million will it sell?  Of course not.

Thirdly, the agent you choose may be the most important factor of all.  You want an agent that will give your home the most exposure.  You want an agent with experience to know what price it should start at, and the wisdom and courage to tell you when it’s time to adjust.  Inexperienced agents may not know how to price, and they may not have the courage or confidence to tell you an adjustment is needed.

When I go to the doctor because I fear something is wrong I don’t want a doctor who will tell me what I want to hear.  Of course, I hope its good news and nothing to worry about.  However, if it isn’t I want a doctor to tell me straight-up so I can make quick decisions and rectify the bad situation.  The sooner you deal with a medical issue the less pain you may feel on the back end.  In life, the sooner you deal with issues the quicker they are resolved and the sooner you get back to living life.

The same is true in real estate.  When making a real estate move, don’t call that friend who just got their license or that family member who needs help.  You want the best, and your financial success depends on it.  Especially in a shifting market.

When financial markets shift, you’ll hear the term “Flight to quality.”  This means a movement towards safety and dependability.  In real estate, sellers move towards experienced agents who can guide them through the shifting maze.  Now is when experience counts, and your future depends on the advice, expertise, and marketing from agents who can guide you.

If you go on a swamp buggy tour, you’ll know what I mean.  You want a tour guide who’s done this a time or two and won’t tip the buggy over in alligator infested swamp water.  We’ve done this a time or two, so feel free to call us if you’d like to buy or sell in SW Florida.  Visit our website at www.LeeCountyOnline.com to see all properties in the MLS or find out what your home is worth.

Watch our SW Florida Real Estate Shift Predictions Back in February 2016

SW Florida Home Sellers Confused

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Thank goodness we’ve been busy listing and selling a lot of property lately.  The 360-degree home tours and advanced marketing we’re employing to go out and create buyers for our listings is working.  We have noticed a trend recently we thought we’d try to clear up.  SW Florida home sellers are confused when they read headlines that home prices were up 11.3% in August.  They’re interviewing agents and they aren’t hearing the higher prices they were expecting, so they’ve called us out to verify what’s really going on in the market.

SW Florida Home Sellers Confused

We decided to present the chart in a different way.  Agents have been telling sellers there’s been a shift since we reported on it back on February 16th.  Sellers aren’t seeing it though because they read the headlines.  It is true, median prices are up 11.3% over last year.  However, they are down $5,000 from last month and down $2,000 from where they were last November.

Unless home prices rise in the next few months, we’ll be looking at essentially a flat line since last November.  In other words, home prices aren’t statistically rising right now.  The rise occurred last year up until November, so when you read that home prices are up over last year, they are until we get to November.  They are actually down month over month as much as they are up which is creating the flat line.

It is possible prices could start rising again.  Perhaps after the election consumer confidence will grow.  I think everyone can agree they’re tired of the political season and just want it over with as soon as possible so we can move on with our lives.

We see the Fed raising rates at their December meeting.  Interest rates have been quietly rising the past few weeks and we see more of that in 2017.  Rising rates typically do not help home prices rise because it steals affordability from the buyer.  Basically, when rates move up 1% it robs the buyer of about 11% purchasing power.

In other words, a $400,000 buyer putting 10% down could finance $360,000.  If they lose 11% purchasing power, for the same payment they can now finance 320,400.  They lose $39,600 in purchasing power.  Their payment remains the same as if they were financing $360,000 and paying $400,000 earlier before rates went up.

This is why rising rates does not help home prices.  Rising rates can spur home buyers who have been on the fence to buy now so they will save money on payments, but it doesn’t help prices long-term.

This is one reason choosing the right Realtor to list your home will become even more important.   You need a Realtor who has sold during a rising rate environment.  I venture to guess that over 80% of agents today have not been in business long enough to experience that.

How you sell in a rising rate environment is vastly different than in a stable or lowering interest rate environment.  Marketing becomes more critical as well.

If you’re a buyer, I would seriously consider buying now.  It will cost you to wait.  Prices may still rise, just not as fast.  Or they may remain stable.  The only advantage to you might be more inventory to choose from.  The disadvantage will be that it will cost you more to buy the same house next year, simply because of rising rates.

If you’d like to search the market, check out www.LeeCountyOnline.com  You can beat out other buyers to hot new listings as our database is updated every 5 minutes directly from the MLS.

SW Florida home sellers, if you’re  considering making a move, you should call us now.  239-489-4042.  Or visit LeeCountyOnline.com and get a free computerized estimate of your home’s value.

Please call us if we can help.  Good luck and Happy Home Buying!

Our Paint the Town Red event was a success.  We had over 35 properties open in one day and produced several interested buyers for our properties.  Be on the lookout for our next open house extravaganza.

Don’t forget to enter our contest so you can win a Yeti Cooler.

Keller Williams Paint the Town Red Open House Extravaganza

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Please join us for our Keller Williams Paint the Town Red Open House Extravaganza where we’ll have 35 open houses in one day.

Keller Williams Paint the Town Red Open House Extravaganza

Saturday October 22  11am-3pm

Please join us as Keller Williams paints the town red with 35 open houses in one day.

$310,000 * 16585 Wellington Lakes Cir, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$500,000 * 6180 Winkler Rd, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$240,000 * 11889 Tulio Way #4203, Ft. Myers, FL 33919

$1,500,000 * 1135 Lorraine Ct, Cape Coral, FL 33993

$225,000 * 3226 SW 8 th Ct, Cape Coral, FL 33914

$259,000 * 8441 Lemon Rd, Ft. Myers, FL 33967

$239,000 * 11736 Izarra Way #7806, Ft. Myers, FL 33912

$725,000 * 2537 SW 38 th St, Cape Coral, FL 33914

$509,000 * 6260 Plumosa Ave, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$197,500 * 1503 McGregor Park Cir, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$230,000 * 13633 Admiral Ct, Ft. Myers, FL 33912

$387,000 * 9344 Independence Way, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$459,000 * 9072 Prosperity Way, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$279,000 * 10006 Sky View Way #208, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$365,000 * 12890 Timber Ridge Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$449,000 * 11207 Sand Pine Ct, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$123,900 * 1429 SW 48 th Ter #6, Cape Coral, FL 33914

$594,900 * 12570 Villagio Way, Ft. Myers, FL 33912

$874,000 * 15690 Catalpa Cove Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$439,999 * 1121 SW 51 st Ter, Cape Coral, FL 33914

$313,000 * 5709 Sandpiper Pl, Ft. Myers, FL 33919

$244,900 * 9370 Old Hickory Cir, Ft. Myers, FL 33912

$315,000 * 12634 Shannondale Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$750,000 * 5615 Natoma Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33919

$399,000 * 11180 Sand Pine Ct, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$789,000 * 1832 SE 28 th St, Cape Coral, FL 33904

$580,000 * 12010 Honeysuckle Rd, Ft. Myers, FL 33966

$272,000 * 15620 Laguna Hills Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33908

$229,000 * 1037 Wilshire, Ft. Myers, FL 33919

$545,000 * 12737 Gladstone, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

$187,900 * 13402 2 nd St, Ft. Myers, FL 33905

$459,000 * 1206 Shadow Ln, Ft. Myers, FL 33901

$419,000 * 4403 Chiquita Blvd S, Cape Coral, FL 33914

$419,900 * 5479 Beaujolais Ln, Ft. Myers, FL 33919

$399,900 * 10100 Belcrest Blvd, Ft. Myers, FL 33913

Call us at 239-489-4042 if you have any questions about any of these SW Florida properties.

Keller Williams Paint the Town Red Open House Extravaganza

 

 

 

360 Degree Home Tours Showcases SW Florida Homes

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Perhaps you’ve read about virtual reality headsets and what it can do for the gaming industry.  You may not realize what 360 degree home tours mean for the real estate industry, until now.

360 Degree Home Tours
360 Degree Home Tours on Your Smartphone or Desktop

Until recently agents would provide a virtual tour in 2D, meaning the tour would consist of a series of photos, and perhaps video walking through the home.  This was great but it didn’t provide perspective and the consumer was forced to look at what the photographer wanted you to see, exactly when they wanted you to see it.

Now the technology has grown such that savvy agents can now provide more perspective and the consumer is in control.  They get to control the scene, view each scene as long or as little as they like, and see how rooms and objects relate to each other.  It’s very spatial and the best way to view a home without actually being there.

We’ve had buyers buy homes sight unseen before simply from photos and videos we’ve taken from a home, and now buyers will be able to feel like they’re in the home.  Showings will go way up because now people are viewing the home on their computer, or on their mobile device.

Many mobile devices today are better than computers were a few years ago.  They displays are crystal clear, and they have sensors like gyroscopes that allow a consumer to place it in motion view or 360 view and literally move the phone around and see the entire room.  Sure, you can still move around the room by touching your screen, but now the phone or VR (Virtual Reality) headset will do it for you.  All you have to do is look a certain direction and now you’re moving the scene, 360 degrees.

360 Degree Home Tours


We’re creating a new website www.SWFL360hometours.com which will showcase our listings in full 360 virtual reality.  You don’t have to have a VR headset to do this.  As we said, many smartphones will do this.

Facebook and YouTube already allow 360 photos and videos.  We’ve been adding 360 photos to our fan page www.facebook.com/Ellisteam Not only is this one of the most fun things we’ve done, it’s also one of the most useful things for consumers.  We’ve been hosting live events on FB as well as utilizing 360 photos.

We love 360 videos too, however when you shoot a home in 360 video consumers need to pause the scene if they want to view it for longer than what the videographer chose.  That’s OK, but why make a videographer choose a length or the consumer have to take extra steps?  With a 360 photo the consumer can see everything for as little or as long as they choose, then move to another scene.

Every person we show 360 degree home tours to sees the big WOW.  Sellers realize instantly what it can do for their home.  Marketing matters.  Pricing is important, but it’s not the only thing that sells a home.

More Online Showings

Imagine you have an item and you place it in an online auction.  Do you think you’ll sell your item for more in you have 1,000 bidders or just 1 bidder?  Of course, more bidders bring a higher price for anything, including real estate.  This is why marketing is critical in getting Top Dollar.

Adding 360 degree home tours to a home brings more online showings to your home, and there is no limit as it’s online and shareable via social media.  We have the ability to target buyers by income, price range, age, geographical area, recreational interests, habits, and much more.

We’re listing a home in an over 55 community.  We can place ads to only people 55+ We can place ads to golfers, boaters, people likely to move, have certain incomes, etc.

Marketing today isn’t what it was 10 years ago.  If an agent tells you marketing doesn’t work, seek another opinion.  Remember the formula.  Proper Pricing x Targeted Marketing= Successful Sale.

If you’re thinking of selling, Always Call the Ellis Team 239-489-4042 or visit www.LeeCountyOnline.com to search the MLS or find out what your home is worth.

Ready for a Yeti?

Are You Ready For a Yeti
Ready For a Yeti?

Find out how you can with a Yeti cooler.  Simply pickup your Ellis Team koozie at one of our open houses or stop by our office.  Simply post a picture of our koozie with your favorite beverage and use hashtags #Ellisteam and #readyforayeti and like our Facebook Page.

Ready for a Yeti
Post our Ellis Team Koozie Photo Online