This is really one sweet deal for my client! I am working with a couple from out-of-state that want to purchase a waterfront home with a davit for their boat. The intention is to rent the place out for a year or two and then relocate to the Clearwater area.

We looked at several homes in both St Petersburg and Tampa this week and they found one that they are seriously considering. It is in wonderful condition, with a large caged pool on a canal that leads directly into Tampa Bay.

The best part of this is that the current owner would like to remain there until June 2010 when his wife retires from teaching and would love to rent from my clients if they purchase the place! They are delighted since they met the owner and thought he had done a fantastic job of maintaining the home! A match made in heaven!!!

I will keep you posted on how this progresses!!!!

It is that time of year again! Remember to send all of your clients Thanksgiving Day wishes! I used most of the time at my last two home inspections on my laptop doing just that! Of the almost 200 clients in my database 190 got their Thanksgiving Day greetings sent to them this week!

This is a wonderful way to connect and keep your name fresh in their memory! Sure, they get other e-mails and messages from you but now you can combine that listing update with a warm Holiday Greeting! Everyone loves that!

To my joy, I have been getting numerous greetings sent back from clients.....even those that usually never respond to my messages! It pays to let people know you are thinking of them and their loved ones during the Holidays!!!

I love it when everything falls into place as it should. My buyers, a young couple with a child and one on the way, have been looking and looking for that perfect home. After seeing dozens of homes, many of which were REO and short sales, they have once again put in an offer. The last couple of homes they put offers in on were not accepted simply because their offers were too low and they were not willing to negotiate to a higher price. Both of those homes were NOT short sales or REOs - they decided that most short sales and REOs they saw just needed too much work to be worth the trouble.

After having two deals fall through because of that strategy, they have realized where the market currently is - that is where the market currently is for homes that do not fall into the distressed sale category. The list price for the home they want was 249k. They offered 199k! This home is a 3/2/2 with pool in a great gated community convenient to everything. The home is in move-in condition, new paint, new tiled floors, the works. Naturally, the listing side was shocked. They countered at 240k.

After long discussions and going over the comps again and again, my side countered at 230k and it has been accepted! Great news! This will be closing the end of the first week of December, so they will be in their new home in time for the Holidays and in plenty of time before that new addition to the family arrives!!!

I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Stop making indecent proposals when making offers on homes! And when you do make them, don't be so surprised when the homeowner does not want to counteroffer or negotiate with you! They are now insulted!

I see this time and again! A listing for 220k, an offer of 175k - the house is in perfect condition! All you need to do is move in! If I was the homeowner, I would be insulted too!!!!

Even though I run comps before my buyers make offers, time and again they put in offers that are so low that the sellers just don't want to deal at all!!!!

I have one current client that has done this 3 times on 3 different homes - now they starting to realize that this tactic just doesn't work - their last offer was only 12k below list price. Now we can indeed negotiate, but 45k below asking price on a home priced at 220k is like saying both the listing agent and the homeowner had no clue what they were doing - time for a reality check! Well priced homes that are in great shape just don't give the place away! Try that on a fixer-upper!!!!

Today I had something happen that has never happened before. A listing agent called to find out what my clients thought of the house they saw yesterday. They loved it, but it was one of 3 that they loved and not the one they were putting an offer on. I had written the contract but they had not signed the offer yet.

About an hour later the same listing agent called back. Her listing was a 'short sale' but only at the beginning phases. She told me if my client would offer 203k it would be enough to pay it off and we could circumvent the short sale process.

This is the first time that this has happened to me! Needless to say, I left a message for my client with this information and am wondering which one they will decide to put the offer in on with this new information (the other home is NOT a short sale and listed at 220k).

The market is picking up and agents are doing their best to make sure homes are moving!

Crystal Beach, Florida is indeed Paradise in the Sun! I love living here and want to show you another one of the unbelievable homes currently on the market here in fantastic Crystal Beach, Florida!

Located in Point Seaside, Crystal Beach, this home has 9,000 sq feet of living area under the roof. Of that 4,248 sq ft is heated area!

Located at 1062 Point Seaside this 5 bedroom, 5 full bath home is on three floors and has an elevator to make life easier!

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, this home is made for living the Florida lifestyle! Featuring wood flooring that sparkles and plenty of windows and doors so you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Gulf!

The kitchen floors are polished granite! Imagine yourself preparing a meal in this kitchen!!!

And of course, no Florida home could be complete without a pool!

Priced at only $1,400,000. this house is a bargin in any market!

To see this fantastic home or one of the other homes located here in Crystal Beach, Florida give me a call today! You can reach me direct at 727-512-0910 or e-mail me at barbarajo@barbarajo.com.

Fantastic Crystal Beach florida does indeed have many wonderful homes! Here are two more of the higher end homes that are currently available here in Crystal Beach.

This magestic home on Mayo St in Point Seaside, Crystal Beach was built in 2009 and is a real work of art! Boasting 12,000 sq ft under the roof - of which 6,950 is heated - this 5 bedroom, 5 bath home has two additional half baths too!

Plenty of room for all of your needs! Naturally there is a wonderful pool and let us not forget the 7 car garage for all of your toys!!!

The views of the Gulf of Mexico are unbelievable as you can see here from the spacious kitchen!

Listed at $3,249,900. this is a home worth every penny of the listing price!

I would love to show you this home or one of the other beautiful homes located here in Crystal Beach, Florida where the sun always shines and the sky is always blue!!!

You can reach me direct at 727-512-0910 or drop an e-mail to barbarajo@barbarajo.com.

Condo, townhome, house - what to purchase? That is my buyer's problem. This is a young couple, first time homeowners and looking for a good deal. We have been out looking at condos and townhomes for the last three weeks. They have found a couple they like, but when they look at the monthly association fees they start to worry about the ability to make ends meet down the road. If everyone thought like this the market would be in a much better place today, without all the short sales and REOs we are seeing!

I am pleased that I just got a phone call saying that they have decided to go for a single family home! I think they will be happy with that decision and choosing a home that is NOT in an association that is going to have monthly fees to use a pool or tennis courts or whatever else.

As the young lady put it,"I would rather have a little extra money to put into my house". Good decision! Why can't they all be this practical???

So tomorrow we will be seeing half a dozen homes! I will let you know how things proceed~!

You really gotta love E-Bay! My granddaughter has a birthday coming up. She is going to be three years old! And like all little girls, she likes to play 'dress up'. So for her birthday I decided to get her some Disney dress-up clothing. Not wanting to pay Disney Store prices, I turned to E-Bay.

For under 40 dollars, including shipping, I was able to procure a Cindarella gown, an Auroa gown (I have no idea what character that is supposed to be), a Belle gown and a Sleeping Beauty gown!!! She will be one pleased little girl!

In addition to that, I have a Cindarella crown and light up wand coming to go with the rest of it!!!

When you are looking for something specific and don't want to pay mall prices, check out E-Bay! It is well worth it!

I will be sure to post photos of the granddaughter in her new outfits in a couple of weeks!!!

This year my little granddaughter decided to dress up as Tinker Bell for Halloween. She is going to be three years old this month and is as cute as a button! I just had to share with all of my friends here in ActiveRain!

I don't think any little angel could be cuter than this, but then it is my granddaughter, so perhaps I am prejudice just a little.

This is such a good time for all of us, watching her grow up!