We’ve all seen the TV ads, postcards, billboard signs, social media posts, etc. . Get a guaranteed offer on your home. You would think from all the advertisements this is a popular option.

Guaranteed offer on your home

 

iBuyer

 The reality is nationwide only 1.3% of all home sales were purchased in this fashion. It is called iBuyer, which stands for instant buyer, and many companies and some agents have offered it.  Why isn’t the iBuyer concept more popular?

Some agents use iBuyer as a listing lead source. They really do not want to purchase your home, but it gets sellers to make the call. Sellers are naturally curious what they can sell a home for with no hassles.  It isn’t until they receive the instant price that they are turned off, but the agent is there and can offer them a better solution.  The agent also has a full-value program whereby they list the home on the open market and fetch a much better price.  If it doesn’t sell, the seller always has the fallback option of the lower instant offer.

Keep in mind, the agent may never wish to buy the home.  They use this as a listing lead source to get in the door. And, if they ever do have to buy a home, for darned sure they want to make money off it.  So, who loses?  Typically, the seller. The seller may be so worn down after a lengthy listing process that they agree to take the lower instant offer.  In fact, they might be convinced that the market was never as high as they believed and the instant offer is the fair market value, which may not be true.

Guaranteed Offer on Your Home is a Lead Generation Tactic

I know of an agent in another state that has offered this program. I asked him how many homes he has bought, and he said none.  The program is a listing lead generation program.

True iBuyers wish to purchase your home at a discount and sell it for more money in hopes of making a profit. Generally, the home must meet certain parameters. iBuyers like homes that are in good condition and have established neighborhood data. They like homes to be in certain sellable price ranges, usually less that $500-$600k, and not require much remodeling or repairs. They are similar to flippers, except some flippers are willing to remodel and improve the home if they can buy it right.

A Better Faster Way

 Many sellers do not know that there may be a better option for them. We became aware of a system that attracts top dollar for homes and sells the home in 8 days, so the amount of time showing is limited. One thing sellers do not like is having their home on the market for months and keeping their home show-ready all that time. Plus, the longer a home sits on the market the more buyers wonder what is wrong with it.

The Ellis Team invested time and money learning this new system, and so far the results have been amazing. We used the new system on 4 listings and 3 out of the 4 indeed sold within 8 days or so.  Two sold at full price or better, and the third was close but had significant hurricane damage so the price was adjusted. The 4th is close to selling as well but has gone over the 8 days. This is significant because in each case the seller has done better than the market. Listing inventory is growing in SW Florida and traditionally marketed homes aren’t receiving multiple offers like they were last year. Many of our listings using this new system are receiving multiple offers.

If you are thinking of selling, give Sande or Brett at call at 239-310-6500. We’d love to sit down with you and show you how you can maximize your home sale and do it quickly.  We do have investors that are buying homes instantly. If an instant sale is your thing, we can look at that. The reality is, we can probably net you more money and have a fast sale. Call us and we’ll talk.

Good luck and happy selling!

Coming Soon Listing in Eagle Reserve

Coming Soon Listing in Eagle Reserve
Heated pool home on the lake-gated community

4732 Imperial Eagle Dr

4 Bed, 3 Bath Pool Home on the Lake-Gated Community

Inflation may help home buyers in the long run.  Here is why. Currently home buyers can borrow right now at less than the cost of inflation.

Inflation May Help Home Buyers

Typically, the Fed wishes to raise interest rates higher than the cost of inflation to help lower inflation. Right now, a borrower can get a 30-year loan in the low 5% range. Inflation has been raging at over 9%. That’s almost a 4 percent spread between the cost of borrowing and inflation.

Inflation May Help Home Buyers

Secondly, we know that real estate appreciates long term at higher than the cost of inflation. See our article back in May titled “Housing Best Hedge Against Inflation in Uncertain Times

If housing appreciates faster than inflation, and you can borrow currently at less than the cost of inflation, it makes sense to buy what you can today.  This is a great long-term strategy. Unfortunately, most people worry about the short-term. Rising inflation hurts the economy and purchasing power, and this leads to pain in the short-term. The Fed’s mission is to quell demand, and that is true for all spending.

Housing can be hurt in the short-term and this can put negative pricing pressure on homes. Home prices could come down some, but keep in mind we have a shortage of homes being built, and that is getting worse because builders are slowing down building in the middle of a recession. Long-term it will be very hard to keep housing prices down because the demand will be there when interest rate pressure eases.

Risky Strategy

Some buyers will try to time the market for when home prices fall. The problem with this strategy is if home prices do fall some, interest rates could also rise, which will negate all benefits of waiting. Higher borrowing costs can outweigh any potential price savings. Because borrowing rates are far below inflation, now is a good time to jump on that rate.

We are still seeing many buyers moving to Florida. We are also seeing some buyers moving out of Florida as their employers call them back into work. Remote work has been good for Florida real estate, but that party is ending for some companies.

What will be fascinating to watch will be how many companies decide to relocate to Florida in the coming years. On a regular basis we hear of more and more companies making the move to Florida. While companies may call workers back to the office, more of those offices could be in Florida in the future.

Inflation is hard on everyone. To tamp it down, the Fed is forced to do some awful things. Sadly.  Doing nothing is worse than cracking down on inflation, so something must be done. We believe lowering the M2 money supply would do far better than simply raising rates, but this is where we are.

The labor market is showing signs of weakness going forward. Once this occurs, the other obstacle will be the price of oil. Many believe oil could rebound to $150/barrel. This will not help inflation if this occurs.

Inflation adds to the cost of everything, so one day when construction does pick up again, presumably it will be at higher prices due to higher costs. Some commodities like lumber are decreasing, but petroleum goes into so many things like clothing, roofing, roads, etc. The next 30-90 days will be pivotal for oil prices, so keep an eye on that.

Smart Money on Real Estate

The bottom line is, with all the uncertainty out there, real estate may not be a bad bet. Sure, home prices could rise or fall.  In the long-term, those that own real estate are far better off than those who don’t. Currently you can leverage today’s rates to increase long-term value.

People always talk about borrowing costs in relation to today’s purchasing power. It might be time to think about long-term purchasing power and how to accomplish that. This moment in time might be that window.

Search the MLS like a Realtor at www.LeeCountyOnline.com Check your home’s property value at www.SWFLhomevalues.com or call Brett or Sande at 239-310-6500

Good luck and Happy Selling!

 

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Saturday 12-3 PM

206 SE 1st Pl Cape Coral Florida

Cape Coral Open House
206 SE 1st Pl

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

12157 Lucca St Unit 201 Fort Myers Florida

Sunday Open House
12157 Lucca St Unit 201

Currently we have two types of sellers in today’s real estate market. We will go in depth on both and explain how each outlook can impact both the buyers’ and sellers’ future.

Two types of sellers in today's real estate market

Fearful of Market

These buyers respect the market and analyze facts. They tend to be motivated to get top dollar and do not want to miss this market. They realize the best may be behind us and they get that. Sellers in this category don’t want to be left holding the bag if the market drops further. They have watched inventory more than double since February and on its way to tripling by July at the current pace. These sellers know it is more fun to sell when there are fewer listings to compete with and they do not like that more competition is coming.

Interest rates have risen which has priced many buyers out of their current price range. Suddenly the homes in their new lower price range do not look as attractive as what they looked at before and they lose motivation. Many buyers have checked out and given up on the market at these prices. If they were on the fence with pricing, as many were, rising rates through them over the top.

Want the Price From 3 Months Ago

The second type of buyer wants the prices from 3 months ago, and some say throw in another $30,000 for good measure because those prices back then weren’t quite enough. These sellers lack motivation and want what they want without regard to market conditions. A few of these sellers still might get their price if their home is unique or offers something of value not readily available. Certain waterfront homes, or newer or updated homes might fetch top dollar plus simply because we still have a decent market, and no like kind inventory is competing with them.  As time goes on this will become more difficult once the market catches on and headlines change.

Headlines still compare year over year pricing, but we believe that will change in the coming months. We study both the year over year and the month over month statistics. It is possible we will see the month over month sales start to level off with the rising rates, and later it will show up in the year over year sales.

Because prices went up so much year over year late in 2021 and early 2022, we may not see the trend until many months from now, but the trend can still be there. Therefore, we will be studying the month over month numbers to get a quick blink on what the market is doing in real-time.

We already see inventory rising, less offers per property, and less cash offers. The financial markets are in turmoil, and it has worked its way into the real estate market. Consumers are not confident in the economy, and it is impacting buying decisions.

Thinking of Selling?

If you are thinking of selling, ask yourself which type of seller are you. Do you want to sell sooner before other sellers enter the market, or do you believe the market is still on fire like back in March? Marketing becomes more important in a changing market. When we meet, we can discuss the latest Ellis Team Current Market Index and what that means going forward. Remember, we developed this index that accurately predicts the forward direction of the market before it shows up in the numbers.

We are happy to share this with each of our clients. Call Sande or Brett Ellis 239-310-6500 and we can discuss your options or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com to get an instant value of your property with a confidence score. The higher the confidence score, the more accurate the valuation. If your property receives 85 or better, the system is confident in your number. You can watch your value change each month.

Good luck and Happy Home Selling! And please, vote for us as Best Real Estate Team in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral News Press polls.

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

3951 Spotted Eagle Way

3951 Spotted Eagle Way Fort Myers Florida
Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

2007 SW 30th Ter

2007 SW 30th Ter Cape Coral Florida
Open House Sunday 12-3 PM

 

Two Types of Sellers

Like Southwest Florida, the United States housing market has fared very well in 2020.  A robust economy pre covid-19 and low interest rates are two factors that have fueled the real estate market locally and nationally.

We like to analyze data that may affect the market now or in the future.  When looking at national unemployment numbers we see that unemployment is falling fast and steadily from its peak in April.  The last time we saw double digit unemployment was 2009 and it took 4 years to fall just 2.5%.

United States Housing Market Not Affected From Unemployment Yet

We know that our current unemployment rates were forced by the Coronavirus outbreak and was precipitated by forced shutdowns.  It is not surprising that we are rebounding so fast and steadily., and yet we know that anyone who lost their job probably lost their ability to pay for housing for any length of time.  Thank goodness we had a good economy going into this thing.  Imagine how tough this would have been financially back in 2009.

United States Housing Market Unemployment By Age

Secondly, we like to look at who was most affected by job loss, as that may leave clues as to what is ahead for the United States housing market. The hardest hit segment is the 24 and under segment with current unemployment at 14.1% They make up 3.0% of all home sales in the United States housing market.

The 25-34 age group has 9.7% unemployment and make up about 25% of all home sales in the United States.  Lastly, we see the 35+ group with 6.8% unemployment.  They make up 72% of all United States housing market home sales.

Home Sales are Strong

This might explain why home sales have been so strong.  The majority of home buyers have been the least affected by unemployment. Low interest rates have helped offset any losses by affected home buyers.  Still, 8.4% unemployment and rising home sales may not be sustainable forever.  The good news is unemployment should not stay at 8.4% as those numbers are declining rapidly.

We plan to watch these numbers as they should leave clues about what is ahead for the United States housing market.  One potential scenario is it could hold back move-up buyers.  The 25-34 age group tends to be first time home buyers, and if a significant number hold off purchasing their first home it could impact down the road some move-up buyers who are ready to make their next move.

If the economy keeps improving and we get the service sector back to work, this should all work out.  Question marks remain how the travel and tourism segments will fare and people’s willingness to travel until covid-19 is under control.  Optimism in the vaccine and treatment fronts abound and this could help that segment recover sooner if therapeutics or prevention pans out.

Florida Looking Good for the Future

While the United States housing market may max out at some point until the economy recovers, Florida is looking rather good as many from out of state have found Florida desirable.  Florida is a net migration state from other states, so we may buck the trend if the national United States housing market maxes out someday.

At last check Lee County single family home inventory is down to 2.36 months supply of homes on the market.  Buyers must be quick and decisive to score a home in this market.  Sellers must be wise and patient, making sure they select the best offer for them, not necessarily the first offer that tried to box them into a quick decision.  This is where experienced agents come in.

Experienced buyer agents know how to make your offer as strong as possible.  Looking at it from the seller’s eyes is extremely helpful now, and therefore experience matters.

Sellers need experience now more than ever, so be careful trusting your home sale to an agent with little to no listing experience.  If you would like to speak to Brett or Sande Ellis about the process, we’re available.  Simply call 239-489-4042 Ext 4, or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com to get a Free estimate of your home’s value.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting!

See last week’s article “Florida Real Estate Demand Heats Up From High Tax State Residents

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Saturday 12-3 PM

1453 Mandel Rd

6414 Royal Woods Dr

Open House Sunday 1-4 PM

7706 Bay Lake Dr

You’ve heard the movie quote “Build it and they will come” from Field of Dreams.  The saying for the SW Florida real estate market is price at market value and buyers will come.

Pending sales were up 2.2% in June which should lead to some nice closing numbers going forward.  However, if you look at the pricing trends for the past few years, you will notice prices have not moved much.  Every year around May or June home prices are lower, primarily because the larger sales happen in season.  2020 was different because season was interrupted by covid-19 and we were under a stay-at-home order in April.

Price at Market Value and Buyers Will Come

Price at Market Value and Buyers Will Come

What is selling today is pretty much anything that is priced correctly.  We are selling low, middle, and high-end homes.  The key is, buyers are looking for housing amongst low inventory, but they don’t want to overpay.  A real estate property buyer never wants to overpay, and sometimes it seems like they must in low inventory markets.  We do think there has been some upward price pressure, but we are not seeing it yet in the overall numbers.  We may see it in the June or July closings when those numbers are released.

Sellers must weigh to counterbalancing ideas.  One is you have got a hot commodity in a lower inventory market.  The other is you don’t want to be greedy and miss this market.  Inevitably some sellers miss a seller’s market because they get too greedy and think the hot market conditions are going to last forever.  These sellers always say, “I wish we had that hot market back” when they own their home 4 years later but wished they had sold 4 years ago.

We can sell a home in a hot, warm, or cold market.  The fact is some sellers succeed while others fail to sell even in the hottest of markets.  It is always nice to sell in a hot market, and it stinks to miss it because you thought it was going to go even higher.  It’s happened before, and it will happen again.  The question is, is it going to happen to you?

Market Where the Buyers Are

The other key ingredient is knowing who your market is and knowing how to reach them.  We’ve had great success with out of state buyers, so we’ve marketed out of state.  You have to go where the buyers are, and the Ellis Team knows how to do that.

Our listing inventory has shrunk because we have sold most of it.  Sure, we have new listings coming in all the time, but not as many as we are used to marketing.  If you have a property to sell, you might want to give Brett or Sande Ellis a call. 239-489-4042 Ext 4. We have over 3 decades experience marketing in changing markets, and we’re definitely experts at reaching buyers where they are.

The Ellis Team has been voted Best in Real Estate for 5 straight years in the News Press Reader’s poll, and that does not happen by accident.  We’d like to sit down and discuss your goals and see if we can make your goals a reality.  It all starts with an idea.  Some ideas are available right now, especially since rates are so low.  Chances are you might qualify for more home for less monthly payment than you have right now.  Other ideas might take some planning, but with expert help we can put your ideas into motion and make that next step a reality much sooner for you.

Curious About Selling?

If you are simply curious about your home’s value. Check out www.SWFLhomevalues.com You can check on your home’s value without having an agent out to your home.  This preliminary step might help get the wheels turning for you.  Of course, Brett and Sande are just a phone call away if you need us.

Good Luck, and Happy Selling!  Call us if you need us 239-489-4042 Ext 4

See last week’s article “Advantage Southwest Florida Sellers as Sales Outpace New Listings

It is time for another Southwest Florida market update. It seems everyone I talk to asks how the real estate market is doing during this Coronavirus shutdown. During the last 7 days in Lee County 212 homes came on the market and 301 went pending. 289 closed in the last week.  This tells us that we’re pending and closing more homes than are actually coming on the market.

This also tells us that now is a great time to sell. You have less competition from other sellers, and homes are actually selling. This past week our team held 9 virtual open houses. All open houses received over 200 video views and our best one had 3,300+ people tuning in. You might ask how do we get so many people to view our open houses online. We will answer that later in the story.

As you can see from the graphs, inventory levels were falling pre-Coronavirus. In other words, this is not a new trend. More homes have been selling than what is coming to the market. This was indicative of a strong housing market locally and a strong economy. Given the shutdown, we have no idea what shape the economy is in today. What we do know is the housing market has remained strong.

Southwest Florida Real Estate Market Closed Sales by Year

We have official sales numbers through March, and you can see that 2020 was on pace to eclipse the previous 4 years. Some people feared we would lose closings in March as buyers became fearful of the unknown. That scenario did not play out. The question going forward will be how does the disruption affect the market going forward?

Nobody knows for sure the answer to that. Hopefully answers about when states will open back up and to what degree will become clearer soon.  What we do know is that it is a good time for sellers right now! It’ always more fun to sell when there is less competition from other sellers.

Buyers still need to buy, and when you see low inventory and buyers buying sight unseen, you know it’s a good time to sell.  What will happen when this virus thing is over and all those sellers who did not want to put their home on the market during the pandemic decide to sell?  Sellers will have more competition. It does not mean the market will be bad, it just means it may take longer to sell as they’ll have more competition.

Pricing is still a critical component. The market either accepts or rejects the price, and some sellers will never get that point regardless of if the market is up, down, or sideways. Proper pricing is important.

Back to the question about how we drive so many people to our online open houses. It’s all about the marketing. The Ellis Team are Southwest Florida real estate experts at driving traffic, whether it be old-school like print marketing or cutting edge like targeting buyers. Our brand is wide and our reach is deep because we have a large digital footprint to draw from.

If you are considering putting your home on the market today, you want it sold for top dollar and fast.  You want to limit the in-person showings. The faster we get your home sold for market value, the better it is for everyone. The Ellis Team digital reach can help you achieve that.

If you’d like to get a quick feel for the value of your home, visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com  It you’d like to setup a meeting with Brett or Sande to talk about the market, your home, or your options, we can jump on a video call and talk about it. Simply visit www.Virtual-Listing-Appointment.com and fill out the form, or call 239-489-4042 Ext 4 and ask for Brett or Sande.

If you are thinking of selling, let’s talk about your opportunity today versus waiting and figure out what’s best for you.

Good luck and Happy Selling!

See last week’s article “Virtual Open Houses Sells Homes in a Virtual World

Check out this weekend’s Virtual Open Houses

The Ellis Team was supposed to have a closing December 31.  We represented the seller. The buyer selected a lender from CA who gave a pre-approval letter.  It turns out, the buyer had no chance of closing with that lender. They said they were just waiting on IRS tax transcripts, and since the government was shutdown, they had to put the loan on hold.  So, even with IRS transcripts, the loan would never have closed under the program they selected. Has government shutdown affected mortgages and closings?

Has Government Shutdown Affected Mortgages and Closings

Upon missing the closing date, we decided to get a lender we use regularly involved.  The buyer agreed, as they wanted to buy the home.  Our lender looked at the file and said they would not qualify, even if they added a co-borrower.  However, if we switched them to an FHA loan, we’d have a chance as they are more forgiving on loan ratios.

Many lenders cannot do a FHA loan with a government shutdown.  Many lenders can’t do a loan without an IRS transcript.  We were able to get an FHA loan in 13 days, bypass the transcript issue, and get flood insurance, all during the government shutdown.  How did we do it, and in 13 days nonetheless?

It took some hard work on everyone’s part, especially the lender.  We worked with a direct endorsement FHA lender who does not need an FHA underwriter to approve the loan.  Secondly, they made this loan a priority for us.  Lastly, we had the buyer assume the seller’s flood policy, so we were good to go, even amidst a government shutdown.  Both buyer and seller were ecstatic.  We could not have done it without the help of our lender, title company, and a buyer and seller working together to make it happen.

Has Government Shutdown Affected Mortgages and Closings

So, let’s give you an update on how the government shutdown is affecting other real estate closing throughout the country.

Flood Insurance – FEMA announced on December 28th that they would resume selling new policies and issuing renewals again.

IRS Tax Transcripts- Many top lenders are waiving IRS (4506-T) tax transcript verifications to fulfill a loan as they are unavailable now.

Nationally Realtors say that 9% of transactions involve a federal employee and the transaction is on hold.  13% have been impacted by the transcript issue, although there are workarounds for this with certain lenders.

The bottom line is the government shutdown isn’t having a huge impact on closings yet.  Any disruptions in closings can have a large impact on the overall economy as real estate generally impacts about 32% of GDP.

In uncertain times it pays to work with real estate professionals and lenders who have a track record of solving issues as they pop up.  Good Realtors know who the good lenders are.

Rising Inventory

Inventory has been rising, so selecting a professional who will market your home and make it stand out is important today.  Hopefully that same agent also knows how to get the home closed once they find a buyer, because in a rising inventory environment, you never want to have to sell the home twice. It pays to get the home closed the first time.

If you’re looking to buy a home, give our team a call.  We can get you pre-approved and get your home closed.  Just because a lender approves you doesn’t mean they can close you.  Experienced agents know that a mortgage pre-approval does not mean you have a guaranteed closing.  We can get you working with a lender with a track record of closing loans.

If you’d like to search for your dream home, check out www.LeeCountyOnline.com  It has all the homes on the MLS, and it’s updated every 5 minutes.  No more missing out on hot new properties because the site you’re using doesn’t have it.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, always call Sande or Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4.  Brett and Sande handle the listings on the team. Let us show you how our marketing will set you apart and get your home to the closing table.

Good luck and Happy Selling!

Ellis Team Weekend open Houses

Open House Saturday 1-3 PM

111 NW 33rd Ave

Open House Sunday 1-3 PM

1742 Ardmore  Rd

Open House Sunday 1-3 PM

2008 Bolado Pkwy

Agents around the office often ask us how the Ellis Team sells so much real estate each month.  The answer is, it’s marketing.  It’s not about the dollars you spend each month, although we do spend more on advertising than just about anybody out there.  It’s about spending smart, understanding how and where to find your customers, and converting. The Ellis Team smashes industry standard online advertising conversion rates.

The industry standard for online display ads back in 2016 was .35%.  Many say it’s below that now.  The Ellis Team converts 26 times that rate with an average in October at 9.13%.  Some of our ads convert at 20%.  The industry standard for a search ad is 1.91%.  Again, the Ellis Team smashes industry standard online advertising conversion rates in every category.

Ellis Team Smashes Industry Standard Online Advertising Conversion Rates

So how do we do this?  We’re not going to divulge that but suffice it to say we know a thing or two about online advertising, and it works.  In fact, the Ellis Team was the first team in the country to put the MLS on our website.  That first year we sold over 100 homes, and Realtors everywhere wondered what was going on.

NAR (National Association of Realtors) called us to Chicago to talk about this.  They said the info was in the MLS books and couldn’t be made public to everyone on our website.  After meeting with the president of NAR and NAR general counsel, they realized what we were doing was legal and met the bylaws of NAR.  And this is how VOW (Virtual Office Websites) was born.  SW Florida, you received it first.  It later transitioned to IDX (Internet Data Exchange) and now Realtors across the country, along with Realtor.com, Zillow, and others are displaying agent’s listing data.  I was always against Realtors letting 3rd party companies display our data.  I felt it should be reserved for agents displaying each other’s data, but somebody up at NAR decided otherwise.

Since those early days, we’ve been perfecting the art of online registrations and conversions.  First, you must give people what they want.  Your website must be fast, easy to use, and provide the most accurate and up to date data out there.  Our website is real-time, so it’s fast, has all the listings including sold data, and it’s easy to use.  Consumers like that they can see a photo gallery of all pictures instead of clicking one by one.

Buyers and sellers like that they can get neighborhood data in real-time and emailed to them weekly or monthly.  This informs them of new listings, pending sales, and closed sales in a community.  This is helpful when you’re keeping an eye on one or more communities.

Secondly, it helps to target the correct people.  This is where the magic happens.  It does no good to target the universe, because the universe will not all buy property, and certainly not in SW Florida.  We target people who have an interest in SW Florida, even if they live out of the country.  We find them from anywhere, and everywhere.

In the last month, www.LeeCountyOnline.com received 291 users from overseas.  Our agents are working with several of them, and some are in a nice price point.  Let’s not forget that we received 4,240 users last month from inside the US.  And of those users, 82.5% are new users, so we’re advertising to and attracting thousands of new users each month.

Ellis Team Overseas Online Visitors

It’s no wonder why Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty agents are so busy and selling so much.  We know how to find the buyers, no matter where they are.

If you’re looking to buy, you should talk with our experienced agents.  If you’re looking to sell, speak with Sande or Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4.  Brett and Sande handle the listings.  We know how to get Top Dollar for our sellers.  Let us sit down with you and show you how we market.  Nobody else does what we do, and the results speak for themselves.  Find out what your home is worth at www.SWFLhomevalues.com

Good luck and Happy Selling!

November SW Florida Real Estate Update

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open House Sunday 1-3 PM

12760 Seaside Key CT, North Fort Myers Moody River Estates

Weekend Garage Sale

Saturday 8 AM-1 PM

2153 Treehaven Cir North

 

Buyers choose to buy all year long for various reasons.  Leases expire, their existing home goes under contract, or a new job opportunity in SW Florida presents itself for an out of state buyer.  People retire, relocate, and buy vacation homes 12 months out of the year.  Florida is a net gain state, meaning it’s gaining more residents than it loses each year.  So, we decided to answer the question, “Are certain months better to list your home for maximum results?”

Certain Months Better to List Your Home for Maximum Results

As you can see from the graph, listings pick up each year around October.  In 2016 it started in September, but only modestly.  As a seller, you have a distinct advantage of being on the market in August and September over those that enter the market in October.

With limited choices for buyers, they are forced to scoop up homes that meet their criteria quickly for fear of losing out to other buyers.  This fear disappears when more listings enter the market.  In fact, when buyers lose their fear of missing out on a home, they become indifferent.  When this occurs, we know we’ve hit a pricing plateau and buyers have turned off.  The market must re-balance itself, and correct.  The sellers that react and respond quickly get out.  The sellers that do not, linger on the market wondering what it’s going to take to sell their home.

Thankfully we don’t have that market right now.  Buyers are motivated because many sellers have made price corrections.  Interest rates are rising, and it’s costing buyers to wait.  They need a home, and they want one now, within reason.  Buyers aren’t acting stupid today.  They are educating themselves, studying the market, and acting when they need to.

And this is precisely why sellers who are on the market in August and priced correctly have a distinct advantage to sellers who wait until October.  Ask yourself two questions?

When is the best time to sell an item?  The answer is when there are fewer items on the market. When is the best time to purchase an item?  This answer is when there are more items to choose from.  It’s simple supply and demand.

The listings are coming, we know this for sure.  It happens every year.  If you’re a seller contemplating a sale, wouldn’t it make sense to beat the seller rush and put your home on the market now?  Buyers are out there, and they’re motivated.  Many buyers are frustrated because they can’t score a deal.  They’re getting beat out by other buyers and watching home after home come off the market while they have none.  They need a home, they’re watching rates go up, and yet they can’t catch a break.

Sellers can take advantage of this mismatch, but time is running out.  Soon, other sellers will have the same idea and place their home on the market, and you lose your advantage.  Oh, you can still sell in October-December.  It’s just more fun when less sellers are competing with you.

Imagine being a high school girl waiting for a guy to ask you to prom.  Wouldn’t it be nice if there were 5 girls in the class and 30 boys?  You’d practically have your pick of which offer to choose.  You wouldn’t settle for the 1st offer if it wasn’t right, because you know better options are a moment away.  It wouldn’t be so good for the buys though.  Only 5 would get dates, and the other 25 would be waiting for a new girl to move to town.

This is what it’s like in August in the SW Florida housing market.  Buyers are looking.  Supply is limited in certain price ranges.  Our team is having another record month in August.  We need more listings.  Our marketing is working.  If you’re thinking of selling anytime soon, we should probably talk.

Call Brett or Sande Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4.  Or visit www.SWFLhomevalues.com to get an instant free idea of what your home may be worth.  Let us show you how we can save you thousands on your next transaction!

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

All Realtors are not the same.  Who you work with matters.  In fact, it can cost you thousands to use the wrong agent.  People don’t realize this until it’s too late.  Here are some tips on how to select the best real estate agent on your next transaction, and why it’s important.

Select the Best Real Estate Agent on Your Next Transaction
Voted Best Real Estate Team in SW Florida 3 Years in a Row

The Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty was just awarded the best team in SW Florida by the News Press readers for the 3rd straight year, so hopefully we have some good ideas on what to look for in an agent for you.

Full-Time-We believe working with a full-time agent is critical.  It’s difficult enough keeping up with all the education requirements, regulatory and legal changes, and ever-changing inventory. A part-time agent just can’t keep up.  You have to wonder about the agent’s commitment level to the profession when they only devote part-time to it.

Experience-There is no substitute for experience. An agent develops a reputation in the community, both by consumers and by fellow agents alike. Trust plays a big part.  If other agents trust your agent, they’re more likely to accept your offer as your agent puts their reputation on the line on each deal.  They are trusting that we are experienced and know how to handle our customer.  If an agent gets the reputation of not being able to properly educate and counsel their customer, agents are less likely to want to take deals from them in the future.  Newer agents combat this because experienced agents know newer agents may lack the skills necessary to successfully navigate a deal all the way from contract to closing.  At the very least, newer agents should be in daily contact with their broker and/or mentor to assist them.

Negotiating-Every agent thinks they’re a great negotiator.  Negotiating skills take lots of education, and lots of practice.  It doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not true just because you think it’s true.  Every singer on American Idol believes they’re great, and some of the best episodes are watching those that believe they’re great, and clearly, they are not.  It will cost you to hire an amateur that thinks they’re the next American Idol.

Marketing– If you’re selling, you want an agent that’s willing to invest their own money into your advertising.  If they’re going to collect a commission from you, you want someone who’s invested along with you.  Not only does marketing work, it shows commitment.  If they’re not willing to spend money on your listing, it tells you their degree of confidence in selling your home.  Ask to see the marketing plan and compare against other Top marketing plans out there.  There is a huge difference in marketing that will become apparent to you if you interview the right people.

Track Record– Compare track records of the agents you interview.  Ask to see their sales in the past year.  How many listings did they sell?  If they only work with buyers, they may not have the experience necessary to successfully represent a seller.  There is a lot of ground-work that needs to be done, like obtaining rules and regulation, HOA docs, financials, disclosures, etc.  And all this before we even begin talking about pricing strategies.

Company-Each company has its unique set of benefits.  Are you looking for a boutique company, or an International powerhouse with connections all over the world?  How many referrals does the company receive each month from out of town?  Does the company advertise outside the area?  All questions you want answers to.

In summary, buyers and sellers want someone they can trust and someone that will dedicate their time and experience to helping them.  They want attention, diligence, knowledge, experience, and honest feedback.  Hire an agent who is strong enough to listen to you and tell you you’re on the right track, or another track is necessary for success.

If you’re looking to list your home, please call Sande or Brett Ellis 239-489-4042 Ext 4.  Our team of buyer agents can help you purchase as well.  Or visit www.LeeCountyOnline.com for the best real estate website in SW Florida.

Ellis Team Weekend Open Houses

Open Sunday 1-3 PM

13994 Reflection Lakes Dr – Reflection Lakes

1462 Claret Ct – Whiskey Creek

14941 Lake Olive Dr – Parker Lakes