Have A Safe and Happy Halloween!

 

Halloween began as an Ancient Celtic Festival.

It was considered the end of the harvest season.

It was a time for the Celtic pagans to gather and slaughter a supply of animals for the upcoming Winter. 

They believed that the winter damage to their crops was caused by the deceased.  And, that disease and sickness was spread by the dead. 

They wore costumes and lit bonfires to throw in the bones of the slaughtered animals, to appease the evil spirits.

Today, we continue to dress up in costumes to carry out the Halloween tradition. 

 Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

 It looks like this witch got caught in a neighbor’s tree and palmetto bushes!

Real Estate isn’t a Job, It’s My Life!

Why I Love Being a Real Estate Professional…

Today on this blog I am attaching  a link to one of my other blogs on Active Rain.  It is a REALTOR Networking Site that allows us to post our articles and interact with other REALTORS and consumers across the nation. All you have to do is click the title of this post and it will take you to the original post.

Yesterday, I was “tagged” by Fred Chamberlin from Oregon and given the title of Real Estate Professional. As a  real estate professional it was my job to write this post explaining Why I love being a real estate professional. For me that was easy. So I am reposting my article on Active Rain here… 

Thanks Fred Chamberlin in Oregon for passing along the title of Real Estate Professional to me. I feel honored that it has come from someone as dedicated and knowledge in the field as you.

I love being in the real estate industry.  It is such a multi faceted business. 

Every single day is different… 

One day I’m sitting in my office blogging on ACTIVE RAIN and making and taking phone calls.

The next day I’m out showing houses with people from another part of the country, that I have been corresponding with by phone and email.  I finally get to meet them and I get to spend time showing them the beautiful area in which we live here in South Brevard County Florida.

The next day I might be out helping my husband, father, and daughters prep, repair and paint a rental house for the next tenant that will be moving in. 

I got my real estate license back in 1995.  And went to work with Bill Mallery at M & M Real Estate in Melbourne Florida in July 1996.  Bill has been in the business for nearly 50 years and works primarily with investors. I believe that I was meant to meet him.  I was eager to learn the investment end of the business. Bill has been a blessing to me and an absolute wealth of knowledge.  He is like a second father to me.

My husband and I bought our first rental house in September of 1996 for  $3,200 down and seller financing.  The rest is history.  We have been buying a couple of houses a year, with my father and we continue to buy today, if we can find something that suits our criteria.  We have sold a couple along the way.

We are happy to be able to provide good, clean, affordable rental houses to good families.  I love my tenants. Some of them are incredible people!  Some have been with us for over 8 years. I enjoy the investment end of the business, as it is so rewarding.  Sometimes it’s alot of work, and we hit some bumps in the road,..but that’s life…isn’t it?

I love working with investors and have worked with many over the years.  Investing isn’t for everyone and I tell them that, upfront. Some just cannot stomach it.  But, I am so happy to help an investor reach his desired goals in real estate. Some stay in for the long haul and others get right back out.

Prior to getting into real estate I spent 10 years in the banking industry. I started in the 80’s as a bank teller, moved to drive in teller, then head drive in teller, customer service, region auditor, assistant manager and then it was time to go.  I loved being in banking, but I had nowhere left that I could go in the industry. 

I shifted to a Collections Manager Position for the Doctors in the Emergency Room of the hospital here in Melbourne Florida. I left after 3 years to have my first daughter and to eventually pursue a career in real estate.

In real estate I love working with buyers and sellers.  I love to help them reach their real estate goals,

I love to help buyers find that “perfect” home that suits their wants and their needs.  It is such a pleasure to see the excitement in their eyes, when they know the home is finally theirs. 

And, I love seeing sellers be able to move on to the next phase of their lives once their home is sold and closed. They are so grateful.

The majority of time I have built a long lasting relationship with my buyers or sellers that has put new, special people in my life, that I may not have had the privilege of meeting otherwise.

I love making new friends. I love making friends with other REALTORS, I mean true professionals in the business…others that love their work as much as I do. 

I love meeting so many incredible people here on ACTIVE RAIN and on my other blog and social networking sites as well, and building and nurturing those relationships. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our industry!

In the real estate business, my favorite part of the profession is that I learn something new every single day.  No two days are ever the same and no two transactions are ever the same.  We must constantly stay educated to national as well as local market conditions, trends and news.  We must continue our education to stay abreast of new laws, new marketing techniques, new loan guidelines, new ideas.  In real estate we never stop learning. I love that! It never gets stale!

FOR ME, REAL ESTATE IS NOT MY JOB, IT’S MY LIFE!

So, today it is so hard for me to decide who to pass this tag along to, because I have so many friends here on Active Rain and I believe that so many are TRUE real estate professionals, but today I am going to pass this Real Estate Professional tag to Ann Hayden in Missouri  and Rich Mielke in Maryland and Marie Meyer in New York.  I think they are all true professionals here in the real estate business.

And thank you Fred Chamberlin, for allowing me to take a moment to reflect on how and why I am here today.  I have learned so much from reading your blog. You have truly become a dear friend to me here on Active Rain.

Buyers Feedback on Homes for Sale

 

When showing homes for sale, buyers typically have something to say regarding the houses they are looking at. Listing agents look to this information to pass along to sellers, so we may get a different perspective on the home. Maybe the buyer thinks the house is too big, too small, too cluttered, too dark, too light…maybe the buyers don’t like the floor plan, the paint color, or the furnishings.

Sometimes a buyer looking at a home can provide information on an item that may not have been addressed with the seller.  Some items can be changed, such as too much clutter, or an offensive paint color. Other items can’t, such as the location of the home or the layout of a floorplan. 

I have received feedback from buyer’s agents that proved quite useful in helping me convince a seller to proceed ahead with that slight adjustment to their property, to make it appear more attractive. 

I love feedback and so do my sellers.

I think that agents that call for feedback are doing their job.  They are working for their sellers, and trying to provide as much info as possible, to try to help them make their home appear as favorable to buyers as they can

Lately for me, business has been brisk. Currently I am working with several different buyers.  Two of which are from out of town and are on tight schedules.  They are both leaving in the next day or so. We have been working 7 days a week, 3 to 4 evenings a week out after 7:00 – 8:00 PM. We do what we can to accomodate our clients.

I would say that I have looked at over 50 houses for sale in South Brevard County in the past 3 weeks.  We have seen at least 10 of them more than once. Providing feedback has never been a problem for me, except in a situation like this, when I show a large number of homes in a short period of time, with buyers in a time crunch.

In the past weeks I have found myself in a quandry.

I have received calls or emails from at least 45 real estate companies, looking for feedback on my showings.  Several agents have called me 2 to 3 times for the feedback. I probably have received about 20 feedback requests in my email inbox.  Some are duplicates.

As I said, I believe that agents that call for feedback are working for their sellers, in trying to give them all the info possible to try and expedite the sale of their home!

One agent called me 5 times. The calls all came in on the same afternoon that I was out with one of the buyers, showing homes.  The agent marked every message URGENT.  By the 5th call she was not very nice!

When I’m in the office, I try to answer the phone and give feedback each chance I get.  I am happy to help. I have probably spoken to at least 15 of these agents thus far. I have spoken to all of the agents on the second showings, and am working on the others.

Last week I spoke with an agent and told her that the buyer didn’t care for the floor plan of her listing, as this was what I was told. Three days later the buyer wanted to take a second look at her listing.  When I set up the second showing, she said, “I thought you told me that he didn’t like the floor plan.”  Today, with buyers taking longer to choose a house to make an offer on, sometimes I hesitate to say much, as things change and the buyers can often change their mind.

However, we know that other work stacks up, while out with buyers. We have other customers that we are working with, we must continue prospecting and of course we must stay current on our blogs.

One agent called me the other day, and asked me what I thought of her listing.  We had looked at it over 2 weeks ago.  I honestly couldn’t even remember the house.  I told her that I had seen 40 houses since that one, and that I knew it wasn’t on the buyer’s short list.  Not much help, I know.

So, what is an buyer’s agent to do? I completely understand that in this business it is important to build relationships and to continue to nurture them.

For me, when I’m absolutely buried, I find that it’s hard to find enough hours in the day to get everything done.

Gas Prices Going Down…How Far will They Go and How Long will they go Down?

I just came back from an appointment with a tenant moving into one of our rental houses. I was happy to get a new tenant, that I think I’ll get along quite well with.  She told me that she has seen For Rent signs all over town.  We have still seen an overabundance of houses for rent in our area of Melbourne Florida, right now.

I am still watching gas prices daily, and look what I found just 2 minutes down the street from me…I was tickled…

Now this is the cheapest gas I have found, to date.  So, I pulled in, and look what else I found…

So, I went around the other side of the pumps…AND THE STATION WAS COMPLETELY SOLD OUT!  That shouldn’t have been a surprise to me.

Just 9 days ago, this was the cheapest price I could find here in South Brevard County…

So, how much further do you think gas prices will fall within the next week, or so, heading towards the election?

I know that oil prices have dropped, but don’t tell me no one has any control of where the gas prices currently are and where they can go and for how long…

I’m betting that in the next week they will be lower than $2.55 a gallon here in Brevard County Florida!

What do you think? And what do prices look like in your area?

Landlords – You’re Gambling with Your Money

Landlords

In today’s tight times it is becoming increasing difficult for tenants to come up with the first month’s rent and security deposit to move into a rental. Some landlords also require last month’s rent for move in.

Some landlords are agreeing to take the move in money in installments, after the tenant is in. Some do it because they feel comfortable with doing it.  I have known others that have felt bad for the tenant.

I DON’T DO THIS, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

To me, this is a recipe for disaster! It immediately sets both parties, the landlord and the tenant, up for failure at the start of the lease! I feel that it’s not fair to either one!

If a perspective tenant cannot come up with the funds needed BEFORE they move in, then how are many of them are going to be able to come up with the money AFTER they’re in? Some will never get caught up!

I made this mistake a couple of times over 12 years ago, when I first became a landlord.  Each incident turned into a catastrophe!  I don’t care to try it again. I don’t care to start a business relationship from the get-go in a upside down position!

I see owners do this so often. 95% of the time these tenants are being evicted a few months later for non-payment of rent.

Today’s Technology – How Did We Get Here?

   In the mornings I wake up, grab my cup of tea and check my office messages, my home messages, my voice mail, my fax machine, my text messages, my e mail and my instant messages. I check for comments on the 3 blogs that I write, and then I proceed on to the REALTOR Social Networking Sites that I am a member of.  

And I wonder, HOW DID WE GET HERE?

  Now, I’m probably dating myself here, but as a kid we didn’t have computers. We didn’t have cell phones, or CD’s or DVD’s or portable DVD players, or I pods, or I phones, or all the new fangled gadgets we have today.

I remember old fashioned, plug in the wall cord telephones, and no answering machines. If you weren’t home when the phone rang, then you just weren’t home!

We had 8 track and cassette tapes that we played in our tape and cassette players.  I used to collect 33 rpm and 45 rpm records to play on our record players. (I still have some up in my attic.) I do remember as I got older getting a big bulky walkman that I could use outside.  I thought it was really cool.

   “Wow, Mom, how did you survive without a cell phone and computer?” my younger daughter, Sam asked.  “That must have been terrible!”

Hmmm. “No, actually we didn’t know the difference.  Back then it was a more peaceful, quieter time,“ I responded. 

“So, without cell phones and computers that means you didn’t have voice mail, or text messaging, or instant messaging or e mail?”

I smiled, “that’s right.”

“Oh, my gosh, how did you keep in touch with your friends?” she was baffled. 

That’s funny, I thought, I don’t ever remember it being a problem. “I actually got to see my friends. I saw them in school everyday, and then we played outside after school, unlike you guys do today.”

“Oh, I would hate growing in your day,” Sam responded, as she walked away with a perplexed look on her face.  I just smiled.   

     I love what I do for a living, but sometimes,  just for a split second, I long for the simpler times… then I am snapped back into reality by the sound of my cell phone ringing and my email notification indicator beeping. Sorry, I’ve got to run…

Reality TV and Real Estate – A Distorted View of Reality?

Over the past several years we have seen Reality TV shows about every type of real estate imaginable.

We’ve seen shows on how to buy, fix and flip a house,

Shows on how to sell your house quickly,

Shows on how to decorate your house,

Shows on how to pick the right house to buy,

And the list goes on and on.

How many of these shows are based on reality?

I have watched many of them.  And, I really don’t get it!

For instance, we always remind sellers to neutralize their homes before placing them on the market to sell. Yet, many of these shows are painting homes bright, bold colors. And, the homes are selling the first day for sale.

The flipping houses catch my interest the most. Buyers purchase the shell of a house, work on it for 6 to 8 months, put top of the line everything in it and put it back on the market.  Okay, some of the owners encountered a few bumps in the road.  But, at the end of the show they give you a summary of the buyer’s total profit.  These people were netting $50,000, $100,000 and more than $100,000!

Did these shows give the illusion that real  estate investing was easy?

Did they make people think that selling your home is easy?

That decorating your home is easy?

Well, sorry, I’m just not biting! I know that there are smart savvy investors that know what they’re doing when it comes to flipping houses. They go into a house with a crew of men, knock a property out in a month, and make a quick sale by accepting a comfortable profit.  They know that  pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered!

When considering a buyers true profit on these REALITY TV FLIP SHOWS did they consider all the expenses involved with the flip?

Materials, contractors costs/labor and over budget expenses.

Holding costs for the property, mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, homeowner’s association fees, utilities, water, sewer and electric bills, from beginning of flip to day of sale.

Did they factor in costs to purchase the property?  Advertising costs to sell the property? What about closing costs to sell the property, including REALTOR commissions? Did they figure out how much their capital gains would be to Uncle Sam in taxes, on the profit?

Most importantly, did they pay themselves for their sweat equity – the time that they spent working on the property or managing the property while it was being worked on?  Their own cost for their own time? How many hours were they there?  100’s?  What other job did they take themself off of to work at that property or supervise or check on the job?  Could they have been making $25 an hour somewhere else, but worked there instead?  You must pay yourself for your time. 

What about gasoline costs, and vehicle wear and tear?  What about telephone/cell phone bills?

The list is extensive.

How many of these shows depicted “real world” situations?

Did these shows give the public a distorted view of the real estate market?

How many people jumped in blindly, based on the information they got from these shows?

We had oodles of calls during the craze of these shows, from people that wanted to buy real estate like they do on TV.

IF WE HADN’T HAD THESE SHOWS, WOULD THE REAL ESTATE MARKET BE IN THE CONDITION IT’S IN TODAY?

Funny, I don’t remember seeing a  TV show  on how to shop for a lender, compare 3 good faith estimates and make a wise decision in not over paying for a home in the current market.  I GUESS THAT ONE WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN VERY HIGH RATINGS!

Visit my website as www.SandyShoresMelbourne.com

The Ginter Building in Melbourne Florida

The Ginter Building is a historical piece of Melbourne Florida History.  It is located in the old Downton Eau Gallie section of Melbourne on Highland Avenue.  It is one block from the Indian River Lagoon.  It was built in the 1920’s and still stands today.  Today, the Ginter Building houses a chocolate shop and a hair salon.

The Cheapest Gas in Town! Really? How times have changed…

 

I’m always looking for the least expensive gasoline that I can find.

Prices here in Melbourne Florida have remained consistently above the $3.50 for sometime now. And many have been very close to $4.00 a gallon. 

Over the past several weeks I have seen a gradual decline in prices. 

I know that oil prices have been dropping. I also know that we have a presidential election in less than 20 days.

This is the cheapest gasoline I have seen anywhere in our area. I saw this yesterday in South Melbourne Beach, Brevard County Florida. Interesting that it is currently cheaper on the beachside than the mainland, as often it is more costly.

Gosh, isn’t it funny how our perceptions change in time?

I never thought I would be happy to see gasoline for nearly $3.00 a gallon! 

We used to say it was too high over $2.00 a gallon!

Will it continue down?

And just out of curiousity, how long will it stay this way after the election?

Is gas in your area cheaper or more expensive than in our area?

Good News for Buyers – Home Prices are Affordable in Melbourne Florida

 

Here in Melbourne Florida home prices are becoming more affordable! 

There are currently 111 homes available for sale for $100,000 or below. 

There are currently 544 homes available for sale for $200,000 or below.

A buyer can purchase a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home built in 2003 or newer, with over 1800 square feet of living on approximately .20 acre lot.

I remember in January 2005, at the peak of the market,  there were only 4 homes available for sale priced