Central Florida Orlando Real Estate - full service & investor friendly Realtor specializing in foreclosure, short sale, & bank owned REO houses

Orlando real estate statistics April 2013

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:01:29 -0700

The Orlando Florida April 2013 real estate statistics have been published by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Here is a direct link to the full MLS statistics details. These numbers are for Orange County and Seminole County in Florida and show properties sold via the MLS. They do not include for sale by owner, courthouse auction, builder sales, or other non-MLS sales.

Month Inventory New Listings New Pendings Closed Sales Median Price

Apr 2012 8642 3432 3497 2436 $117,000

Jan 2013 7336 3361 3314 2015 $127,000

Feb 2013 7183 3213 3250 2317 $133,000

Mar 2013 6937 3446 3455 2710 $140,000

Apr 2013 7202 3852 3435 2689 $145,000

Orlando inventory increased slightly in April by 335 properties. This is attributable to the Spring selling season. Sellers have gotten word that demand is high and prices are rising, so more people who have been sitting on the sidelines are putting their homes on the market. New listings exceeded new pendings by over 400 units in April which shows supply is starting to become a little more availalble. Low inventory is still a big issue though. There are not enough homes available especially for first-time buyers that need FHA and VA loans to get their financing. New home builders are cranking up their building businesses again in order to reach demand.

Sales continue to be very strong. There were 2689 homes sold last month. This gives us just a 2.7 month supply (7202 inventory / 2689 sales) which is an extreme seller's market. Days on market is down to 76 days from listing to contract. Anything under 90 days on market is considered strong. More often than not, homes are selling in a week or 2. In April, we had 13 offers come in on a bank foreclosure listing in just 5 days.

Properties under contract continues to hover at just under 9000 homes. This is caused by the backlog of short sales. Short sales make up over 60% of the under contract properties. Contrast that to about 25% of the active listings.

Interest rates still remain very low. The average rate in April for a 30-year loan is 3.49% - pretty unbelievable. It is a great time to refinance or to buy and lock in at these low rates. At some point they will go back up.

Median prices continued to increase to $145,000 in April. This is up 23.9% since April 2012 and a 14.1% increase just since January 2013. That is one heck of a price increase.

You can read another detailed analysis from the Orlando Realtors and the Orlando Sentinel at this link. If I can help you buy or sell your property, please contact me or one of our agents and we will take great care of you and your real estate needs in Central Florida.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Transformation of a Junker into a Gem - We Buy Houses Florida

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:32:10 -0700

This is a very interesting house that we purchased in late 2012. This house was in pre-foreclosure and had been sitting empty for about 3 years. If you have ever watched those "hoarder" shows on reality TV, this one would have made a great story. The house was literally ankle deep (if not knee deep) in stuff. Often on these deals, I will allow the seller to just leave behind whatever they want so as to make their life easier and take the burden of making them do a heavy trash out.

Watch the video and you can see just how much they actually left behind. This is a 2-story house with 2400 square feet + a 2-car garage. It took a crew of 6 guys about 3 days to empty the contents out of this home. When the seller actually met us there for the first time, she offered us breathing masks (the kind doctors wear during an operation).

We did a huge cleanup. Painted the house inside and out, repiped the inside, changed bathroom fixtures, light fixtures, replaced carpeting, replaced air ducts, got the pool from brown to blue, and did a whole bunch of other fix up to the house over the course of about 2 months. The house ended up getting featured on our local television news as an example of a home bought for cash and later fixed up.

The person that bought it was retired military and a first time home buyer. They bought it in a multiple offer situation with VA financing. It was a smooth closing for a deserving family. And a nice payday for us as well. The Central Florida real estate market is busy right now. Interest rates are low and retail prices are fairly low still.

If you want to sell your house for cash no matter how nasty it may be, please give me a call. The house above we closed on it 14 days after the first time I saw it. We can do the same for you. Let's make a deal.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Get YOUR offer accepted in a bidding war. Here's how to do it.

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:54:06 -0700

Excellent advice on how to get your offer accepted by a seller. Price is not the only factor. Often a cleaner offer with few or no contingencies will excite a seller more than just the highest price. Sellers and listing agents also want to know that the deal is going to close quickly with no hiccups.

Via Janna Rankin Scharf (Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene):

I just finished up with my fortunate Seller client who had the difficult task of deciding which one of three excellent offers to accept for the purchase of her home. That's right, three outstanding offers.

I had a conversation with the agent for each potential buyer and explained the following to them: There will be three competing offers. The Seller is doing a HAFA approved short sale. There was no point in running the purchase price up above the fair market value that Wells Fargo is willing to accept, which is the listed price. Seller is not going to receive any of the sale proceeds. What would be the deciding factor for her is the strength of the buyer, and their willingness and ability to hang in for the duration. I suggested each of them do whatever they could to strengthen their offer in every possible way.

We ended up with three excellent offers, essentially all full price. How to decide? We could have used a dart board, because the fact is they were all great. I pulled out my legal pad and started splitting hairs in a side by side comparison.

Sometimes, I think Buyers and their agents don't realize that there are many different ways to strengthen a purchase offer besides just the obvious one, the purchase price.

This is always something to seriously consider when making any offer, whether or not competing with other buyers. What follows are some things a savvy buyer will consider when making a purchase offer in any situation.

Top Ten ways to strengthen your offer:

10. Present it in person. This seems to be a dying art in my market. Almost never happens. There is just something about making the effort to come hand me the offer in person, make eye contact and explain a bit about the buyer. I always attempt to present offers in person, and at the very least will include a letter to the Seller's agent and Seller telling a little bit about my Buyer, what they love about the house and pointing out the strengths of our offer. Even better, have your buyer include a letter to the seller, appealing to their emotions. Most sellers have a hard time seeing their sale as the business transaction that it is. To them it is intensely personal.

9. Include any requested addendums and documentation with the offer. In this case, I had requested the offer be submitted along with some addendums which I had made available to agents in advance by uploading them into the MLS. Specifically, a short sale addendum, a Wells Fargo affidavit as well as the Property Condition Disclosure. One of our potential buyers failed to include any of the requested documents. In a side by side, hair splitting comparison of offers, this was a negative. We didn't know FOR SURE that they wouldn't find something on the PCR they would object to, or that they would be willing to wait for 3rd party approval. Just a couple of little question marks hanging out there that could have easily been eliminated.

8. Include proof of funds to close if a cash offer, or a lender's pre-approval letter. One of our offers was accompanied by a very strong lender pre-approval letter. One of the cash offers was accompanied by very impressive proof of funds to close. When I asked for proof of funds for the third offer, also cash, I was told that the Buyer would only submit proof of funds necessary to close after her offer had been accepted. Would you be surprised if I told you this was the same buyer that wasn't forthcoming with any of the signed documents that were requested?

7. Inclusions. If you are competing with other offers, this is not a good time to ask the Seller to include personal property in the sale. Especially if the refrigerator, washer and dryer are specifically excluded in the MLS information. Why risk losing your dream house over an appliance or some kitchen curtains?

6. Inspection contingency. In our case, one of the two deciding factors (remember that we are really splitting hairs here) was that one of the Buyers waived their right to an inspection contingency. This eliminated one potential pitfall that could possibly arise down the road, of Buyer canceling their contract based on an inspection. Short sales are sold "as is" but a buyer always has an opportunity to have a professional inspection, and rescind their contract if they find something unacceptable. This Buyer felt that this was a reasonable risk given that the home was fairly new construction and obviously well cared for with no deferred maintenance. Short of eliminating it altogether, a good way to strengthen any offer is to shorten up, as tight as possible, the length time you are requesting in which to perform an inspection.

5. Requests for Seller concessions. In our case, this wasn't any determining factor. But it is always something to consider in any offer. If you are going to request that Seller pay for some of your closing costs, vacate the home prior to closing, allow you to take possession prior to closing, take a big hit in the purchase price or otherwise concede something, for heaven's sake compensate them by strengthening up everything else that you possibly can!

4. Earnest Money. In my state it is customary for a Buyer to put up earnest money with an offer, to be held in trust until closing. Unlike the state I used to live in, Sellers don't post in the MLS the amount of earnest money they are requiring. Buyers can offer anything. The more skin you are willing to put into the game, the more solid your offer appears to a Seller. This is one area that really gets a Seller's attention when you are trying to offset a concession somewhere else in the offer. In an offer on a short sale, an offer will ALWAYS beat out any others when accompanied by a provision that the earnest money is non-refundable if Buyer withdraws their offer prior to 3rd party approval.

3. Closing and Date of Possession. Generally, the sooner you are willing and able to close, the better. If you can be flexible, based on what works best for the seller, you will have a big advantage. This is a detail where conflicts can occur between Buyers and Sellers. Find out what the Seller prefers. A quick cosing? An extended closing? Accommodate Seller's needs if at all possible. Or, if you are asking for a closing time frame that isn't ideal for the Seller, be sure to offset it by strengthening the offer in all other areas that you can.

2. Costs Paid By? In any real estate transaction, there are closing costs in a variety of areas. Appraisal, loan origination fee, Lender's title policy, septic inspection, escrow fee, survey, and so on. Although always negotiable, typically the person who benefits from a particular action is the one who pays for it. An appraisal required by a Buyer's lender should be paid for by the Buyer, for example. To strengthen your offer, be sure that you are not asking the Seller to pay costs which are not obvious Seller costs. If you do, realize that this is a concession you are asking of the Seller and it weakens your offer.

1. Cash is king. Obviously, this isn't an option for a lot of buyers, but a Buyer will always be in a better position with a cash offer for several reasons. First of all, cash closings are uncomplicated and quick. There is no concern that an appraisal will come in lower than the price in the purchase contract. There are no worries that the Buyer's lender may discover something objectionable, while raking him over the coals, which would disqualify him from obtaining a mortgage to buy the home.

In the case of my Seller and her three excellent purchase offers, here's what it all boiled down to.

First, the offer from the Buyer that hadn't provided proof of funds to close, or the requested documents, was eliminated.

That left us with another cash offer, and an offer from a well qualified buyer (a personal friend of the Seller) who was pre-approved to obtain an FHA mortgage. As much as my Seller would have loved to see her friend get her beloved home, she opted to accept the cash offer for the reasons stated above. In her case, closing quickly with cash versus waiting for a mortgage to close also meant she would eliminate a ding on her credit score from a missed mortgage payment.

Now, for the rest of the story. I knew from my initial conversation with the agent for the winning cash Buyer, that this first time home buyer had saved a down payment, was pre-approved and planning to get a mortgage. Imagine my surprise when the offer arrived as a cash deal. He and his parents were on the contract as joint purchasers, and their retirement account would be funding the purchase. This sharp Buyer's agent had acted on my advice to strengthen the offer in every possible way. There is nothing stopping the parents from selling their share of the house to their son after closing, and him getting the mortgage he is pre-approve for so they can repay their retirement fund. They went to the trouble of working it into a cash offer simply to strengthen their chances of being chosen, and it worked. This was the Buyer that also waived the inspection contingency.

Ironically, had they made the same offer but with the Buyer still needing to obtain a mortgage, they would have been competing against the other Buyer with the same pre-approved mortgage status, and they would have lost! Why? There would have been only two things differentiating the offers. That waiver of the inspection contingency from one Buyer, and the fact that the other buyer was a personal friend of the Seller. In this case, the friendship would have prevailed.

Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit Janna.ServingNorthIdaho.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.

No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!

Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700

Subscribe to North Idaho Janna's Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Blog by Email

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Orlando area real estate deals we sold in April 2013

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:48:10 -0700

April is behind us and the Spring selling season is in full gear. As a buyer it can be very challenging to find a great deal or even buy a house using FHA financing, but here are several homes that we sold in April 2013 for you to check out. We have a constant inventory of homes becoming available to buy.

Ashford Falls Cobblefield Kangaroo

1. Ashford Falls, Oviedo 32765. 3 bed, 2.5 bath, newer townhome in Ashford Park. Was in great condition and looked fantastic. Sold to a conventional mortgage buyer and new homeowner for $124,900.

2. Cobblefield Circle, Apopka 32703. 3 bed, 2 bath foreclosure home. This property was a bank owned REO. It was a mild handyman special as well. Sold to a cash buyer for $97,125.

3. Kangaroo Court, Apopka 32712. 5 bed, 3 bath big 2-story home. Located at the end of a cul-de-sac and with a beautifully inviting Florida swimming pool. Sold to a first time homebuyer with VA financing for $149,000.

4. Hammersmith Road, Orlando 32818. 3 bed, 2 bath home in West Orlando. Remodeled and updated. This sold to a cash buyer for $92,000.

5. Andora Street, Orlando 32807. 4 bed, 2 bath home in East Orlando. Beautifully redecorated. This sold to a new FHA homebuyer for $97,000.

6. Lake Eleanor Drive, Mount Dora 32757. 4 bed, 2 bath pool home between Tavares and Mount Dora off Lakeshore Drive. Sold to a new conventional buyer for $142,000.

Lots of homes are selling. Do not miss out while rates are still low. Prices are starting to rise a bit due to the low inventory levels. We have plenty more homes where these came from. Feel free to contact me or one of our agents to help you sell or buy your house.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

What Is Working in the 2013 Real Estate Market – Part 2

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:43:27 -0700

If you recall from Part 1 of my article on what is working today in real estate, the market has changed quite a bit from the high inventory levels and multitude of foreclosures back in 2008. Today inventory is tighter, prices are appreciating (at least a little), and foreclosures and short sales are a smaller segment of the marketplace. Just to summarize numbers 1 through 5 of the previous article. (1) Interest rates are at incredible lows. (2) Buy some rentals at these low interest rates. (3) Purchasing with creative financing. (4) Selling with creative financing. (5) Short sales. Those 5 things are definitely working in 2013. So are the next 5 things.

(6) Assigning your interest in creative financing deals. You can buy with creative financing, and you can sell with creative financing. Creative financing deals are in high demand but only in moderate to small supply. Most owners are not thinking of creative financing, but would entertain it to get out from under the burden of their mortgage. By creative financing I mean pretty much any deal where the seller finances it or the existing loan does not get paid off. This can be owner financing, subject to, lease option, lease purchase, contract for deed, wraparound, etc. It is very possible to structure a creative financing deal with a low down payment and reasonable monthly payment. Then assign your deal to an end buyer in return for an assignment fee. For instance you structure a deal as follows: Purchase price $150,000, seller will finance with $10,000 down and $1100 per month. You flip your contract to an end buyer for $160,000 price and $20,000 down. Then you give $10,000 to the seller for the down payment and put $10,000 in your pocket as the assignment fee. You step out of the deal while end buyer makes the payments directly to the seller. Then move on to the next deal and do it again.

(7) Traditional sales - targetting FSBOs and not the MLS. Realtors® do this all the time. They find sellers whose properties are not yet listed. Then they sign a listing agreement for 5-6% or so commission and get the property up for sale and in the MLS (Realtor® multiple-listing service). Then all the buyers including investors clamor to make offers on these newly listed properties. You can do exact what Realtors® are doing; contact sellers directly and get them to sell to you. Things like running ads in print or online, driving neighborhoods, direct mail, referrals from people you know, and calling FSBOs really do generate good leads. That way you are not fighting over the last listed property in MLS along with 10 other buyers. Keep in mind that right now in 2013 that about 50% of all properties in the MLS are regular sales and not bank owned or short sale. Where do you think the listing agents are getting those 50% of the listings from?

(8) Wholesaling to hedge funds. Institutional hedge fund investors are plunging billions of dollars into rental real estate right now. They are buying everything that makes sense at the courthouse foreclosure auctions and out of the MLS. Then they hold onto them as cash-flowing rentals in hopes of a reasonable rate of return and some decent future appreciation. MLS and foreclosure auction inventory is low. So why not find those unlisted FSBO properties and sell them to these hedge fund investors. The hedge funds are buying aggressively right now. In 2013, I have already sold 3 of my personal rehab deals directly to hedge funds simply by listing them in the MLS and letting the hedge fund investor buy them. Hedge funds pay all cash with no appraisal, minimal inspection, and no game playing. I keep getting more and more calls from Realtors® that represent hedge funds and looking for unlisted properties that they can buy.

(9) Buy, rehab, and sell retail. With inventory as low as it is, there is plenty of pent-up demand from owner-occupant end buyers. Twice in the last few months, I have seen owner occupants pull money out of their retirement accounts so that they could pay cash for a house. Buyers get tired of missing out on houses because some hedge fund or cash investor beat them out. So if you buy junker houses, fix them up to FHA (Federal Housing Administration) financing standards, and then sell them at retail prices, you can typically sell for top dollar - often with multiple offers from solid buyers. This is especially true with buyers who are sick of looking at beat up bank foreclosures and short sales. It is a treat for them to see a nice pretty house all ready for a new family. And despite what you may hear, banks are lending money again.

(10) Home building. For many years, building new homes did not work because there was so much excess inventory and prices were so depressed. It simply did not make economic sense to build new homes because you could buy foreclosure houses for way cheaper than you could build them. But times they are a-changing. Prices are rising and inventory is low. Drive around on the edge of town on Sunday afternoon and you will see builders are back in business. Pick up the newspaper and flip to the real estate section; builders are advertising again. Vacant land still sells for very cheap. And land sellers often will sell with creative financing at “dirt” cheap prices. There is lots of room for upward movement for home builders right now.

So there you have it, 10 things that are working profitably in Florida real estate in 2013. I see investors making tons of money using these very techniques right now. What you do today when the market is at a bottom and prices are still low, will determine greatly where you will be a decade or two from now when the market has long since recovered. If I can help you with your real estate investing, feel free to contact me anytime. Here’s to your success!

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

I buy houses Deltona FL 407-739-5773

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:06:17 -0700

We buy houses Deltona for cash. If you have a house for sale that you need to get moved quickly and do not want to go through the process of listing it, dealing with showings, keeping it nice and pretty while people parade through your home, then worry about inspections, appraisals, and mortgage underwriting, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL AT 407-739-5773 or www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com .

I have been buying property in the Deltona and Volusia County area for nearly 15 years. We pay cash or use creative terms depending on your situation to get you the best deal. No high pressure sales tactics. No 3 or 6 months contracts. No closing costs or commissions either. And I buy them in as-is condition.

I buy homes all over Central Florida from Orlando to Kissimmee to Daytona Beach, Deltona, Ocala, and Lakeland. Let's make a deal. I buy houses Deltona.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

We buy houses Orlando for cash 407-739-5773

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:33:22 -0700

We buy houses Orlando for cash. If you have a house for sale that you need to get moved quickly and do not want to go through the process of listing it, dealing with showings, keeping it nice and pretty while people parade through your home, then worry about inspections, appraisals, and mortgage underwriting, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL AT 407-739-5773 or www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com .

I have been buying property in the Orlando area for over 20 years now. We pay cash or use creative terms depending on your situation to get you the best deal. No high pressure sales tactics. No 3 or 6 months contracts. No closing costs or commissions either. And I buy them in as-is condition.

Below is a bank foreclosure REO home that we bought in the Union Park area on the east side of town. You can see how lovely it was when we acquired it.

I buy homes all over Central Florida from Orlando to Kissimmee to Daytona Beach, Ocala, and Lakeland. Let's make a deal. I buy houses Orlando.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Orlando FL housing market statistics March 2013

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:21:37 -0700

The Orlando Florida March 2013 real estate statistics have been published by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Here is a direct link to the full MLS statistics details. These numbers are for Orange County and Seminole County in Florida and show properties sold via the MLS. They do not include for sale by owner, courthouse auction, builder sales, or other non-MLS sales.

Month Inventory New Listings New Pendings Closed Sales Median Price

Mar 2012 8666 3386 3805 2435 $115,000

Dec 2012 7384 2278 2497 2505 $132,500

Jan 2013 7336 3361 3314 2015 $127,000

Feb 2013 7183 3213 3250 2317 $133,000

Mar 2013 6937 3446 3455 2605 $140,000

Orlando inventory is down again for the 6th straight month. 6937 homes were for sale in the MLS at the end of March. This is significantly less than the 8666 that were available a year ago in March 2012. It has become more and more difficult for first time home buyers using low down payment financing like FHA and VA loans to buy a property. You have to move very quickly and even then, often find that the home you are interested in has multiple offers on it.

New pendings exceeded new listings again in March which shows that inventory is rapidly going under contract as quickly as Realtors can list the homes. Good deals often go in days rather than weeks. Sales continue to be very strong. There were 2605 homes sold last month. This has reduced the inventory to just a 2.7 month supply (6937 inventory / 2605 sales) which is an extreme seller's market. Days on market is down to just 80 days from listing to contract. Anything under 90 days on market is considered strong.

Properties under contract continues to hove at just over 8000 homes. This is caused by the backlog of short sales. Short sales make up over 60% of the under contract properties. Contrast that to about 25% of the active listings.

Interest rates ticked up a little bit, but still remain very low. The average rate in March for a 30-year loan is 3.65% - pretty unbelievable. Do not miss out on these low rates!

Median prices continued to increase to $140,000 in March. This is up 21.7% since March 2012. That is one heck of a price increase.

You can read another detailed analysis from the Orlando Realtors at this link. If I can help you buy or sell your property, please contact me or one of our agents and we will take great care of you and your real estate needs in Central Florida.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Things you find in vacant houses 3

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:19:39 -0700

The world of real estate can be quite interesting. Every day is different and brings new adventures. From the joys of tenants & toilets to vacant houses, foreclosures, and short sales. You never know quite what will you will find when you are out and about. Here are a few more nuggets that have come up in the last few weeks that I thought were worth sharing.

This is the garage door on one of our rental properties. The tenant just bought himself this new (used) car a few days earlier. It is a stick shift. Apparently it got stuck in 1st gear and he could not shift it. So he accidentally crashed into the garage door and basically destroyed 2 panels and broke the spring mechanism. The door has since been replaced and we are working on a repayment plan to get this damage paid for. Stuff happens occasionally. The guy is a good tenant though. Fortunately he did call me right away so that I could get out there and assess the damage. There was some damage to the contents inside the garage as well. Have to be careful. The tenant told me that he had not driven a stick in a long time and was still getting the hang of it. Really?!? No duh!

This next photo is from a short sale property that I visited a few weeks ago. There is a back porch that has been enclosed into a room. It has ceiling tiles similar to what you might see in a commercial office or your local elementary school. But apparently some of the tiles got damaged and so the occupants decided to replace them with their own creative fix. Take a look at them real close. Those are T-shirts up there on the ceiling. I really like the yellow one "Stupid is as stupid does." I couldn't agree more. Too funny.

Oh the world of real estate and foreclosures. You never know what the day might bring. Hope you got a kick out of these like I did.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

What is working in the 2013 Florida real estate market - Part 1

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:53:19 -0700

The Florida real estate market seems to be in a constant state of change. Figuring out what actually is working successfully to put money in a real estate investor’s wallet can be tricky. What may have worked a few years ago, may not work as well now thanks to changes in the marketplace, changes in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac/bank guidelines, as well as various new laws and regulations that have been enacted.

A few years ago short sales and REOs (real estate owned by banks) dominated the landscape. Properties in some state of the foreclosure process were plentiful and easy to purchase and turn into a profitable deal. But now in 2013, the market is quite different. Inventory that was well over 20,000 units is now down to about 7,000 units for sale. Short sale and REOs that once made up 70% + of all deals available are now about 45% of the available properties. Wall Street hedge funds are aggressively buying at the courthouse foreclosure auctions as well as out of the MLS (Multiple Listing Service used by Realtors® ). Investors are finding it harder and harder to find deals that make financial sense.

So what is working now? I make it a point as an active real estate broker, landlord, and real estate investor to keep my hand on the pulse of our local market. These are things that I see that are making money today.

(1) Interest rates are at incredible lows. I have been saying for almost a year now that if you have the ability to obtain an institutional bank mortgage loan that now is the time to do it. In the last 18 months, I have personally refinanced or modified mortgages on 5 of my properties including my personal residence. If you have good credit and documentable income you can obtain an interest rate in the high 2s to mid 3s on your personal residence and in the high 3s to low 4s for rental properties and second homes. In 2012, I was able to refinance a 30-year 5.75% mortgage on my own home into a 15-year 3.75% mortgage and my monthly payment is basically the same. Rates have since dropped even further. And if you refinance using the government HARP 2.0 program (available for personal residences, second homes, and rentals), you can most likely do so with no closing costs, no appraisal, and minimal documentation. Check with your lender for more details – this is an amazing program!

(2) Buy some rentals at these low interest rates. In addition to refinancing everything you can, buy all the rental properties you can and lock in these low interest rates with 15-year or shorter mortgage terms. You can own up to 10 properties with Fannie Mae loans on them. So if you buy 10 properties now at these low prices and low rates, they will most likely produce a reasonable positive cash flow and by the year 2028, you will own them all free and clear. If those 10 properties each produce $700 per month positive cash flow once they are paid off in 2028, you will have $84,000 in annual income just from those rental properties. Retirement does not sound so bleak all of the sudden.

Now granted, I do understand that many people have been devastated by the economy and their credit is severely damaged and plagued with black marks that might include short sales, foreclosures, and bankruptcy. I get it. I do not know anybody including myself who did not have at least some negative impact to their finances or credit as a result of the recession. So here are some more ideas for the credit challenged investor.

(3) Purchasing with creative financing. Finding a seller who will commit to seller financing or creative terms can be challenging, no doubt. It is often simply a numbers game of contacting people who are in a position to offer creative financing and then working out a deal that makes them comfortable. On single-family houses and condos, it is often difficult to find sellers who will sell with these terms but it is certainly not impossible. I have purchased several properties over the years with seller financing or simply taking over the existing payments (a/k/a “subject to” deals). On multi-family and commercial properties, creative financing is much more common and almost expected. Additionally there are ways to lease purchase or sandwich lease option a property where you can control the property without owning it. These techniques are seminars all to themselves but just keep in mind that they do exist and are happening more frequently than you might think.

(4) Selling with creative financing. This is a gold mine. There are millions of people with damaged credit who are now back on their feet with steady income. These people cannot buy with bank financing because of their credit score but have some cash to put down and can afford the payments. If you advertise seller financing or lease option right now, your phone will ring off the hook with potential buyer leads. Even if you own a property that is upside down, you can normally sell with creative financing as long as the monthly payment is not unrealistic and the negative equity is not so out of whack that it will not correct itself in a few years. After all properties are appreciating again, even if it is just a little bit.

(5) Short sales. They now only make up about 25-30% of the Central Florida homes available but that is still more than 1 out of 4 deals out there. Many of the big banks have tightened up on anti-flipping requirements but even so there are creative ways to get around those legally. And many of the smaller-to-medium banks do not have an issue with investors buying and quickly re-selling short sale properties, so there is still plenty of opportunity in this arena if you are patient and willing to learn the short sale business. There is still a ton of shadow inventory of potential short sale candidates all over the place. Odds are about half the vacant houses you see while driving around are behind on payments and just waiting to be short saled.

In Part 2 of this article, I will be discussing fix and flip techniques, profiting from hedge funds, and a couple more gems. So stay tuned …

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Great Orlando home deals we sold in March 2013

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:59:56 -0700

Spring is well under way in Central Florida. The 1st quarter of 2013 is already behind us. The Orlando market is very vibrant. Sales are brisk and buyer demand is strong. Take a look at some of these great home deals that we sold in March.

Midsummer Page Majestic Woods

1. Midsummer Lane, Sanford, FL 32771. This 4 bed, 2 bath home is located in the Glades of Sylvan Lake near Heathrow. This pool home is in fantastic shape and showed beautifully. Sold to a cash buyer for $252,500.

2. Bearstone Run, Oviedo, FL 32765. This 4 bed, 3 bathroom home is located in the Bear Stone subdivision in Seminole County. It was in amazing condition and also sold to a cash buyer for $299,000. Cash is king.

3. Page Ave, Orlando, FL 32806. This 3 bed, 2 bath home is in the up and coming SODO neighborhood in Orange County. This home was built in 1940 but has been completely updated and modernized to today's standards. Sold with conventional financing for $129,900.

4. Alloway St, Orlando, FL 32810. This 3 bed, 2 bath home has a 1-car garage. Located close to downtown Winter Park and I-4 just off of Lee Road. Sold to a cash buyer for $116,000.

5. Majestic Woods Blvd, Apopka, FL 32712. This magnificent 4 bed, 2.5 bath home is off Wekiva Springs Road. Screened lanai surrounds the pool and hot tub. Sold with conventional financing for $246,000.

6. Arborpark Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789. This 3 bed, 2 bath pool home is located in a beautiful area of million dollar homes. Sold with conventional financing for $296,000.

The above are just a sampling of the 32 homes that are office sold during March. If I can help you with your real estate needs in Central Florida, let me know. We have many Realtors that can help you find exactly what you are looking for regardless of where you want to live. This is a beautiful place to live and interest rates are still fantastic.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Three easy steps for selling your house in less than a week!

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:52:19 -0700

These are three simple tips to sell your property quickly. I will not guarantee it will sell in a week, but it will go faster than most. Price is definitely top priority. Nothing makes a listing go stale more than an overpriced home.

Via Richard Weisser - Coweta Fayette Real Estate - Newnan homes for sale (Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate):

Do you want to sell your house? Would you like to have a contract for full list price or more in less than a week?

Here are three easy steps to ensure that your house is one of those “hot” properties that everyone wants:

1) Price it correctly. In real estate many factors determine price. Location, schools, amenities and features all figure into the calculation. Don’t try to “test the market” by starting high and work your way down. Price your home at market and you will do OK. Price it slightly below market and you will have buyers beating a path to your door.

2) Have the property in move-in ready condition! Buyers want to buy a house and NOT a project. Buyers want to visualize placing their furniture and do not want to think about the cost of replacing the roof.

3) Make your house available to be shown. No one will buy your house if they can’t see it. It doesn’t make any sense at all to offer a product that cannot be displayed. Every showing that is prohibited is one less chance to get top dollar for your house.

To sum up, price, condition and availability are the three keys to selling a house quickly.

Do it right from the start and you will most likely have multiple offers in less than a week.

We Need Listings! Call 770-827-6225

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Coweta Fayette Real Estate Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers, Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser REOS, E-Pro. licensed Auctioneer. 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required. Visit CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com! Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. North Georgia Photos.

North Georgia Photos

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Things you find in vacant houses 2

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:29:15 -0700

As a Realtor and investor going through many vacant houses, you find so many interesting things. I am more and more amazed at what I come across in these empty houses. People leave behind all sorts of things.

The item on the left was left behind in a pre-foreclosure house that I purchased last Fall. It is a giant wasp's nest wrapped in twine. There are 2 tree branches that it was apparently attached to. It is suspended from the ceiling by a rope. This was the teenager's room. Apparently the seller did not want to take this collector's item with them when they moved up north.

This winded up in the trash. It just didn't go with the house so I had to toss it out.

The next set of photos are another I took last Fall. This is actually a very nice home in Winter Park. I was taking photos prior to listing it. When I snapped the first photo of the living room, the big white orb appeared in it. Some people claim these orbs are ghosts or spirits. I don't know what to believe. But I knew that photo would not work for me because the orb distracted the view of the room. So about 10 seconds later I snapped the second photo and was happy that it was orb free. That is, until I brought it back to the office and blew it up big on my laptop. That is when I noticed that the orb moved into the dining room just to the upper left of the doorway. What the heck. Maybe ghosts are real and this one was moving. Weird.

This next photo is an REO bank owned property also from last Fall. I managed this house for several months. Squatters broke in and tried to live in the place. It was apparently some sort of Craigslist scam and the occupants also got duped. Fortunately I caught them right as they were moving in. So the police kindly gave them a trespassing violation and they left quietly. But not before leaving a mess to clean up. You have to grin and bear it sometimes.

Welcome to the wonderful world of real estate. I have some more of this series coming soon. Lots of interesting things that you do find in these empty houses. Enjoy until next time.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Orlando Florida housing statistics February 2013

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:28:20 -0700

The Orlando FL February 2013 real estate statistics have been published by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Here is a direct link to the full MLS statistics details. These numbers are for Orange County and Seminole County in Florida and show properties sold via the MLS. They do not include for sale by owner, courthouse auction, builder sales, or other non-MLS sales.

Month Inventory New Listings New Pendings Closed Sales Median Price

Feb 2012 9253 3323 3475 1975 $111,000

Nov 2012 7847 2890 2936 2560 $128,000

Dec 2012 7384 2278 2497 2505 $132,500

Jan 2013 7336 3361 3314 2015 $127,000

Feb 2013 7183 3213 3250 2203 $133,000

Inventory in Orlando continues its decline. There were 7183 homes for sale at the end of February. This is over 2000 less properties than there were in February 2012. With less and less homes on the market, it has gotten difficult for people needing FHA or low down payment financing to find a property to buy. I have seen several owner occupants buyers actually take money from their retirement accounts in order to be a cash buyer as opposed to a financing buyer. Then later on they hope to refinance after they close.

New pendings (3250) once again exceeded new listings (3213). As the Spring buying season approaches, the market is already off to a roar. This will most likely continue to cause inventory decreases as more properties are selling than are getting listed. Multiple offers will be the norm rather than the exception on many deals until inventory catches up to demand.

Sales are very strong. There were 2203 sales in February 2013 which 11.5% higher than the number of sales in February 2012. It certainly does not seem like February because the buyers are out in droves trying to scoop up those deals. There was a 3.3 month supply of inventory (7183 inventory / 2203 sales) which means remain in a seller's market. Days on market are strong as well - 84 days from listing to contract. Anything under 90 days on market is strong.

Interest rates are down again for February to 3.21% on a 30-year mortgage. These rates are absolutely incredible. Do not miss out on those rates - the money is practially free. I have refinanced everything I possibly can to lock in those interest rates on my personal residence and rental homes. Thank me later - refinance now!!!

Median prices dropped slightly from December to January which is typical for year end. But they bounced right back in February to $133,000. Demand outpaces supply which means prices will probably continue to rise slightly.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Things you find in vacant houses

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 09:49:57 -0700

While out visiting various foreclosure and abandoned houses you come across all types of interesting things. Some crazy and some kind of cool things. This is going to be an ongoing series of various photos of things that I find while on the foreclosure road.

The first photo is actually in the vacant lot next door to an REO bank owned property that I manage. The vacant lot backs up to a spring-fed creek that eventually flows into the Wekiva River. There were actually 3 deer in the photo but one ran off camera. There have been days where I saw as many as 7 deer at once. This is in the middle of a residential neighborhood with hundreds of houses nearby and not out in the country.

The second photo is on a skipped out tenant. They actually left it in fairly decent condition compared to many of these losers. Tenant was 6 weeks behind on rent and got all upset that I dare ask her and her live-in boyfriend (who she moved in after the lease was signed and I later found out was a registered sex offender) to pay or move out. I told her she better come back and clean this up unless she wanted her case turned over to collections. She ignored me, so now she gets to curse my name for the next 7 years as she has a collection on her credit report until the year 2019.

The third photo was on the screened porch of a foreclosure house I manage. It is a dead fruit bat. I nicknamed him "flatman" because he is kind of squashed.

Stay tuned for more interesting stuff that comes up. I have a few videos as well that I will be posting.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Great Orlando home deals we sold in February 2013

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:31:06 -0800

The Orlando real estate market has started off the year quite strong. Properties are not hard to sell but they are a challenge to buy. Most of the good deals sell almost immediately and often with multiple offers. Take a look at the latest group of deals that we sold in February.

Selma Aurora Neuse

1. Selma Road, Longwood, FL 32750. 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom concrete block with a carport. This home was a fix and flip deal. It was acquired by the sellers as a bank REO and quickly fixed it up. A landlord investor bought it for $80,000 which is a heck of a deal for a 4 bedroom home in a great school district.

2. Cypress wood, Winter Springs, FL 32708. This 3/2/2 remodeled home was in the Wedgewood subdivision. In great condition. It sold after only 3 days on the market for $149,999.

3. Aurora Drive, Apopka, FL 32703. The little 2/1 house was a short sale that we worked. Went under contract fairly quick. Sold to a cash investor for $45,000.

4. Neuse Ave, Orlando, FL 32804. Located in northern College Park. This is a 3/1 block house that was fixed up immaculately. Sold for $82,000.

5. Taylor Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. 3 bed, 2 bath bungalow just off of Aloma. This was a 2-story home with an adorable white picket fence around it. Sold for $254,000.

Lots of homes are selling in Central Florida. Interest rates are fantastic and prices are still very reasonable. Do not miss out on these fantastic deals while you still can. Give me or our office a call and we will help you with your real estate needs.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Orlando Florida housing statistics January 2013

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:47:56 -0800

The Orlando FL January 2013 real estate statistics have been published by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Here is a direct link to the full MLS statistics details. These numbers are for Orange County and Seminole County in Florida and show properties sold via the MLS. They do not include for sale by owner, courthouse auction, builder sales, or other non-MLS sales.

Month Inventory New Listings New Pendings Closed Sales Median Price

Jan 2012 9258 3318 3375 1731 $108,000

Oct 2012 8094 3332 3253 2582 $122,500

Nov 2012 7847 2890 2936 2560 $128,000

Dec 2012 7384 2278 2497 2505 $132,500

Jan 2013 7336 3361 3314 1923 $128,000

The Orlando inventory continues its gradual decline. January went down to just 7336 homes available for sale. Year over year this is a nearly 2000 home decrease since last January. These numbers mirror the inventory we had in September 2005 at the peak of the boom times. This decrease in inventory is good for the over all market but tough on first time home buyers who often need FHA or VA financing and help with closing costs. It is difficult to compete with cash buyers and people with large down payments who have that extra financial backing to surely close on time.

New pending (3314) were slightly less than new listings (3361). This is typical for the month of January as many people hold off listing their home on the market until after the holidays so we have a little pent up supply for 2-3 months. The same thing happened in 2012 and 2011 in case you wonder. Pendings are strong though with many properties selling with multiple offers often over asking price especially on the lower end deals.

Sales remain strong. Normally January is the slowest month of the year for closed deals as most retail buyers are not actively looking during December due to the holidays and closings typically lag pendings by 30-60 days. We still had 1923 closed sales in January 2013 which is an 11% increase over January 2012. A very positive sign. We have an average of 3.8 months inventory for sale last month (7336 inventory / 1923 sales). This number is artificially low simply because January sales are always slightly lower than other months of the year. The market is very hot still. I had 2 properties go pending with multiple offers over asking price just last week. Days on the market remains low as well hovering at 81 days from listing to contract date - and that number includes short sales and overpriced homes too.

Despite some media to the contrary, interest rates dipped slightly again in January to a month-ending 3.44% for a 30-year mortgage. I am telling everyone I know to refinance all of your properties and additionally buy some more as rentals and lock in these unbelievable rates. In the low 3s, the money is almost free. Believe me, you will thank me for this advice 10 years from now.

Median prices dropped slightly from December to January. This seems to happen almost every year. I think it is just a mad rush for buyers to get that Florida homestead exemption. Thus people pay a little more for that privilege.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Great home deals we sold in Orlando Florida - January 2013

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:18:55 -0800

January started off with a bang. The inventory levels have kept it a sellers market and that has kept many buyers around looking for deals even during the normally slower Winter months. We sold many great deals last month and the trend continues. Check out these latest new deals.

Loma Bonita Dunblane Druid

1. Loma Bonita, Davenport, FL 33837. Located in the Loma Linda subdivision near Champions Gate in Polk County. I am proud of this one because it was my first investment flip of the new year. 3 bed, 2 bath, 2-car garage with an inviting swimming pool. We actually had a cash offer for 82K on it but the buyer wanted an extended closing date and so they missed out on it. It sold for $87,000 to a buyer who pulled money from his retirement account in order to acquire it.

2. Fox Street, Orlando, FL 32814. Townhome in Baldwin Park. 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2-car garage attached townhome. Located within walking distance of the town center and the elementary school. Beautiful luxury townhouse. Sold for $320,000 to a new homeowner.

3. Dunblane Dr, Winter Park, FL 32792. 3/2/2 with fantastic screened pool and outdoor kitchen area. Lots of hardwood floors. Modern kitchen and bathrooms. Great house within walking distance of Brookshire elementary and Winter Park High School. I searched and searched and could not find comps much higher than about 280K but the demand in this crazy market somehow rustled up a buyer who paid $300,000. Ain't it great!

4. Druid Dr, Maitland, FL 32751. 3/2/2 remodeled home on the line between Maitland and Altamonte Springs. This was one of our fix and flip investors who sold this home. Updated kitchen, hardwood floors, modern conveniences. Sold for $245,000.

5. Ainsworth Ave, Deltona, FL 32738. 3/2/2 bank owned home. Needed a bunch of work but you cannot beat the price. One of our investors bought this home to fix and flip. It is a great time to do this as interest rates are low and prices are still reasonable. Sold for $28,000.

One thing to notice as you review the sampling of homes above, only 1 of the 5 listed are foreclosures. And none are short sales. The Central Florida real estate landscaping has changed. Nearly half the properties selling - maybe a little more - are not distressed. If we can help you buy or sell, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

We buy sinkhole . com

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:03:26 -0800

I have been buying houses with sinkhole damage since 2007. Most areas of the country are not prone to sinkholes. But Central & North Florida and areas of Southern Georgia and Alabama are highly prone to them. I have bought a bunch of sinkhole houses since that time and actually bought 7 of them just last year.

If you own a house with sinkhole damage or if you are a real estate broker that has a customer with a sinkhole house, please give me a call. Why fool with fixing this property and dealing with all the unknowns involved with that? Instead sell to a professional investor that specializes in sinkhole homes then use the insurance proceeds and the sales proceeds to buy a new home. If you are a broker/agent, I will get you paid both sides of your commission and make sure all legal disclosures are taken care of.

Sell your sink hole home to me. I buy Florida sinkhole houses.

Check out our latest website www.WeBuySinkhole.com . We have a bunch of photos and videos regarding sinkhole properties that we have dealt with. And will be posting more and more info as the site grows. Thanks for stopping by.

And if you come across a sinkhole property anywhere in the Southeast United States, please make sure to contact me first.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

What is the Real Estate market like in your area? Depends who you ask.

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:05:02 -0800

My response right now is that the market in Central Florida is great. Homes are easy to sell. Prices are still quite inexpensive. And interest rates are unbelieveable. What a great time to buy a home or a few rentals and lock in those ultra low rates. Now granted the caveat is that (1) still about half the homes are either a foreclosure or short sale, and (2) prices are nowhere near where they were back in 2006 at the market peak. But otherwise it is a great time.

Via Scott Godzyk, One of Manchester NH's Leading Agents (Godzyk Real Estate Services):

I was absolutely shocked to hear a Home owner tell me how "BAD" the Real Estate market is in the Manchester NH area to why their home was not selling. I have heard rumors but had not heard first hand until last weekend that some agents were telling their clients their homes are not selling because the market is "just so bad".. Have they lost their mind? .

The amount of homes currently listed for sale is less than half of what there was. We have a shortage of good homes to sell because BUYERS are indeed buying. I am seeing FIRST TIME BUYERS, I am seeing INVESTORS buying and seeing RE LOCATIONS from across the country calling to move to NH for our great job market and no income tax or sales tax.

WHY would any agents say the market is so bad? Well for them it is. If you sit and wait for Buyers or Sellers to come to you, it will be a long day in the office playing Words with friends. I see listings that sit with no showings that also have no ads, no pictures in MLS, no decription and no marketing plan.

As a Home owner you have a choice, and the Best choice is choosing the one leading Listing Agent in your area that will take the time to guide you through each step of the Listing process. In NH that agent can be me.

Our TOP TIPS IF YOU WANT YOUR HOME SOLD IN TODAY'S MARKET

1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LISTING AGENT: As a home owner in this market you need every advantage you can to get your home sold. It starts with choosing the right agent.

a. Ask for a Full time agent whose sole job is to sell homes.

b. Ask for a Full service agent who will guide you through each step of the selling process. Discount brokers often equal discount services.

c. Ask for a Local agent who knows your neighborhood and is readily available when you need them is a must. Out of town agents can leave you high and dry in your time of need.

d. Ask for a well experienced Listing Agent can give you the advantages you need when selling your home. Not all agents are created equal. Choose only the best.

2. Ask to PRICE THE HOME CORRECTLY: One of the most important things that can help you sell your home is pricing it right. . List prices need to be priced at or near market value. The simple truth is over priced listings are one of the only segments of the market that are not selling. A great agent will study the recent sales, study what is on the market and use trends and comparables to place a value on your property.

3. Ask for an agent with a great marketing program - GETTING A BUYER TO SEE YOUR LISTING: Before anyone can view your home, they have to know it is for sale. Using an agent with an extensive marketing and advertising program is the best start to get your home the exposure it needs and deserves. Some agents whose sole marketing plan is placing a sign in your yard and placing the home in MLS is not a sound marketing plan.

4. Ask for help to GET YOUR HOME READY FOR A BUYER TO SEE IT: A listing agent can guide a buyer to your front door, but the can not make them go inside. You need to prepare your house for sale.

a. THE EXTERIOR: Your lawn should be mowed, bushes trimmed, debris, toys or belongings picked up and removed from the yard. In the winter shovel your walk and driveway, sand and or salt and knock those icicles off your roof. Make sure your screen/storm door is in working order, it is the first thing they will touch and a storm door with a missing handle or off it's hinges will drive buyers away.

b. THE INTERIOR: Remove anything from your house you are not using, often called "decluttering". Clear off the counters, bureaus and floors. Make sure walls are free of marks or holes. Freshly painted walls in a neutral color are always a plus. Make sure all faucets and toilets run properly, no drips, no leaks and the toilets should not always run. Clean your carpets, remove pet items and during showings your pets should be taken out of the House

IN CONCLUSION: There is a lot of behind the scenes work going on to get a house on the market, marketed, get an offer, go through the buyers mortgage process, appraisal, inspections and get to the closing of the home. If you did not notice most of these steps, I did a great job. With the decrease in Listings, there is pressure on Listing Agents to provide more service. For agents who have been providing a great service to their clients throughout the last 4-5 years they are being rewarded as home sellers and buyers talk, they let each other know who did the great job or who dropped the ball. As you see it is no accident a home sells. It is through the hard work of the agent.

If you are looking to SELL a property in NH, you can choose ME. I strive to offer the best in personal and professional service through EACH step of the SELLING process..

It does not take magic to turn your "For Sale" sign into a "Sold" sign. it takes a full time Local Agent who specializes in Listing homes like yours.

If you are thinking of buying a Home please contact us. Get a free pre-qualification along with some of the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE through each step of the Buying Prices.

Please call for a FREE MARKET ANALYSIS to know what the value of your home is.

WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE THROUGHOUT EACH STEP OF THE LISTING AND SELLING PROCESS!!!

If you need to sell your home and you owe more than your house is worth, i may be able to help. I specialize in working with home owners to get your home sold. There are many options such as a short sale which may be able to help you.

Please try and avoid out of state or out of town agents and companies that make "out of this world promises". We are local agents with experience who never charge any up front fees.

We are local agents with experience who GET RESULTS!!!

We stand by you through every step in selling your home..

PLEASE SEE MY "TOP" TIPS FOR SELLING A HOME Are you READY TO SELL YOUR HOME? Step 1: Choosing an agent

PLEASE SEE MY "TOP" TIPS FOR BUYING A HOME Are you Ready to BUY A HOME? Step 1 Find a REALTOR

About the Author: Scott Godzyk is the Owner/Broker of the Godzyk Real Estate Services in Manchester NH. With 27 years of experience, Scott is a leading Agent for Listing and Selling Homes in this area. To CONTACT Scott Godzyk please call 603.661.2121 or EMAIL: Sctprop@aol.com . We are Full Time Agents ready to serve all of your Real Estate needs through each step of the buying and Selling process. We are proud to be locally owned and operated.

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Copyright 2008-2011, All rights reserved

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Orlando Florida real estate market 2012 year in review

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:16:18 -0800

The Orlando Florida December 2012 real estate statistics have been published by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Here is a direct link to the full MLS statistics details. So this is your 2012 year in review. These numbers are for Orange County and Seminole County.

Month Inventory New Listings New Pendings Closed Sales Median Price

Dec 2011 9732 2641 2800 2213 $119,000

Sept 2012 8073 3086 3104 2296 $124,900

Oct 2012 8094 3332 3253 2582 $122,500

Nov 2012 7847 2890 2936 2560 $128,000

Dec 2012 7384 2278 2497 2410 $131,800

Orlando inventory continued its decline in December. To end out the year there were just 7384 properties available for sale in the MLS. This is a 24% decline from the 9732 homes available in December 2011. This is about the same number of homes we had during September 2005. It is hard to believe we have come full circle to the height of the last boom with inventory levels as low as they now are.

New pendings continue to outpace new listings last month which is the main reason for the decline in inventory. As is typical at the end of every year, there is a large amount of expired listings that end on December 31. However this number has also great declined - there were only 549 expired listings in December 2012 compared to 255 in November.

Closed sales have continued to keep pace with listings and pendings as well. 2410 houses sold in metro Orlando last month. This puts us at a 3.06 month supply of homes currently available which is considered a seller's market. (7384 inventory / 2410 sales = 3.06 months) . A total of 41,239 homes were listed during the year 2012. Of that 28,697 homes sold last year. Not a bad ratio. And days on market continues its downward spiral as well as we end the year with 80 days on market - down from 102 days a year ago.

Interest rates are continue are down yet again. The average mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed loan in December was 3.46%. And they went down again last week. I am telling everyone I know to refinance all of your properties and additionally buy some more as rentals and lock in these unbelieveable rates. In the low 3s, the money is practically free.

Median prices went up slightly in December. The lack of inventory has created bidding wars which are in turn driving up prices. Prices are up 10.8% from December 2011. Again another good reason to buy everything you can now.

You can read another detailed analysis from the Orlando Realtors at this link. If I can help you buy or sell, please contact me or one of our agents and we will take great care of you and your real estate needs.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

How Are Mortgage Rates Determined?

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 07:23:15 -0800

This is an excellent article on just what causes mortgage interest rates to fluctuate up or down. There are many factors that affect that number. Regardless though, keep in mind that rates are at incredible lows and if you ever were planning on refinancing or buying something to lock-in those low rates, now is the time to be doing it.

Via Michael Deery (Citywide Financial Corp):

Mortgage rates are a very popular topic right now, as media channels across the US are telling everyone that interest rates are currently at record lows. Understanding what determines a borrowers rate or what causes mortgage rates to go up or down is quite simple once you understand some basic fundamentals. So if anyone asks you "Why are rates so low" or "What will my rate be", or "Do you see rates increasing when I am ready to buy in a few months?", here is a quick guide to use that will help you answer some of these questions correctly.

What Economic Events Force Rates to Go Up or Down?

So what causes mortgage rates to go up or down? These are tied to some fundamental economic activities that take place everyday in our markets, by understanding these you will now be able to better predict and understand what direction rates will probably move.

Europe...one of the main reason mortgage rates are so low!

One of the main reasons US mortgage rates are so low right now is because of financial events in Europe. There is a debt contagion spreading throughout the countries of the European Union that is starting to unravel.

Greece, Portugal & Ireland have already requested bailouts, Italy and Spain are probably next in line. So why does the Euro crisis affect rates in the US? Anytime you hear of financial problems coming from Europe, this usually causes a "flight to safety" of investor money into US markets.

A "flight to safety" occurs when overseas investors are nervous about owning European debt and risky assets like stocks, but do not want to miss out on earning a return on their funds, so they allocate money into risk-free U.S Treasury debt to provide a safe-haven AND an investment return. As Treasury yields fall, prices of mortgage bonds move higher which in turn lowers mortgage rates.

Stocks and bonds compete for investment

Stocks and Bonds compete everyday for investors dollars in the open markets, stocks pay a higher rate of return so they are more risky, bonds have a lower return so they are seen as more stable and less risky. Remember: When there is weak economic news (European debt problems, higher unemployment etc), this normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into more stable Bonds, helping Bonds and mortgage rates improve.

But strong economic news (lower unemployment, more homes sold etc) normally has the opposite result, so investors will pull their money from bonds and put it into more risky stocks, thus causing mortgage rates to increase. It is an interesting dynamic that good economic news is bad for mortgage rates!

The Relationship between The Fed, Mortgage Bonds & Mortgage Rates

The reason that mortgage rates move up or down everyday, is because Mortgage Bonds are traded everyday just like stocks. They either go up or down in price on a daily basis. Here is a mortgage bond trading chart below from the past 18 months. When mortgage bonds are trading higher, mortgage rates move lower, and when mortgage bonds trade lower, rates will move higher. As you can see below, mortgage bonds are currently trading at all time record highs!

When mortgage bonds trade lower, lenders raise their mortgage rates and republish these higher rates to the public. This daily trading of mortgage bonds directly correlates to the mortgage rates we see everyday from lenders. It is not unusual for mortgage rates to sometimes change 2 or 3 times in just one day!

Currently the Federal Reserve is artifically supressing rates by buying these mortgage bonds outright via their Quantitative Easing programs or "QE" as they are known, so this should keep rates from rising too much over the next year or two.

The Relationship between Credit Scores and Mortgage Rates

It is no secret that having good credit scores are important for buyers in this market to score the best rates! For example, did you know a buyer with a 695 credit score purchasing a $400k home with 20% down, will pay an additional fee of 1.5% (see conventional risk pricing below) to get the same rate as a buyer with a 740 score, which amounts to an extra $4,800 the buyer has to pay at closing, or they can take a .375% higher interest rate instead that incorporates this 1.5% cost!

To maintain great credit, everyone should get a copy of their credit report once a year so they can make sure they are keeping their scores as high as possible, so when they are ready to obtain financing for anything, they are in a position to score the best rates! Here is a tip to obtain a free copy of your credit report, CA residents are entitled to a FREE credit report once a year from www.annualcreditreport.com

The Impact of Rising Rates on Buyer Affordability

Did you know that just a 1% increase in interest rates means a buyer loses 10% in purchasing power or affordability! Here is a great chart to share with your buyers, that shows if a buyer is shopping in a $400k price range today, if rates increase by just 1% the same buyer can now only afford $360k, a 10% drop in price! (*see how the payment at $400k with a rate of 3.5% is roughly the same as the payment at $360k with a rate of 4.5%).

A Look at mortgage rates over the past 40 years

I think it is important that buyers today understand where current rates are in relation to historical averages. For example, this chart below shows the average 30 year fixed mortgage rate over the past 40 years has been 8.7%, and 6.5% over the past decade! So for any buyers still on the fence looking at buying a home, they are very fortunate that they will be able to qualify for a rate that is at 40 year lows.

Its important today's buyers understand Cost vs Price!

It is very important that today's buyers understand that waiting for a reduction in price is not the only way to get a great deal on a home. What is just as important is factoring in the overall cost to buy a home and that includes the interest rate and financing costs. Because as noted above, when rates increase by just 1%, buyers now lose 10% in purchasing power or affordability.

There is no guarantee that interest rates are going to stay as low as they are currently are for long, yes the Federal Reserve is artifically supressing rates by buying mortgage backed securities outright. But as the US economy continues to improve and add jobs, this means rates will also rise in tandem! For the 2nd week in a row now rates have increased and are now almost at 3.625% as of the second week in January, they were are at 3.375% just before the Christmas holidays.

P.S. If you have any questions about mortgage rates, feel free to contact me directly at 858-200-9602. Also if you would like to be updated faster on any new loan programs or important industry updates that come out, please join my Facebook page "Free Resources For Real Estate Agents". There are currently over 5,500 real estate professionals sharing tips and ideas on this page.

Best regards

Michael

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Great Orlando home deals we sold in December 2012

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 07:57:09 -0800

Another year and December 2012 is behind us. Despite inventory being down, more great deals are selling. And not all foreclosure and short sale deals. About half of them are regular old traditional home sales. Check out this sampling of homes that we sold last month in metro Orlando.

Westwood Eaglewood Jessup

1. Westwood Dr, Longwood, FL 32779. This 3 bed, 2 bath pool home was a bank owned REO. It was in pretty bad shape but located in a great Seminole County school district. And for a nominal fee you can gain lake access onto ski lake Lake Brantley. Sold to a cash investor for $99,495.

2. Patterson Ave, Orlando, FL 32811. The 3 bed, 1 bath home is located in Richmond Heights not far from downtown Orlando. It was recently rehabbed after being used as a rental property for many years. Sold to a cash buyer for $38,750.

3. Eaglewood Dr, Orlando, FL 32817. This 4 bed, 2 bath home is in the Suncrest community in East Orlando not far from UCF. Showed fantastically. Sold to a new VA home buyer for $154,000.

4. Hiawassee Rd, Orlando, FL 32818. This 4 bed, 2 bath home was a bank owned foreclosure. It came with just under 3 acres of land. The home sits way back off the road so it is almost like living in the country although not far from shopping. Sold to a cash buyer for $104,475.

5. Jessup Ave, Oviedo, FL 32765. 4 bed, 2 bath home just west of downtown Oviedo and walking distance to area schools. This house was recently remodeled and looked gorgeous. Sold to a new home owner for $201,000.

6. Australian Cir, Winter Park, FL 32792. 4 bed, 2 bath pool home in the Goldenrod area. This home was a short sale that we helped negotiate. Sold to a new home owner for $117,500.

Interest rates are at record lows. Do not miss out on your piece of Central Florida. Prices rose about 11% from this same time last year and as inventory shrinks that trend will probably continue. If you have a home for sale, please connect with us and our home seller guarantee. If you are a home buyer, don't be spooked by the low inventory - we have additional sources besides the MLS to find you a great home deal. Please give us a call.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act Extended. Happy 2013.

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:54:00 -0800

According to sources at the National Association of Realtors. The extension of debt forgiveness is good through January 1, 2014. This is a good thing for anyone involved in short sale negotiations.

Via J Philip Faranda, Broker-Owner (J. Philip Faranda (J. Philip R.E. LLC) Westchester County NY):

You can all exhale. The Fiscal Cliff deal passed in the wee hours of last night extended the 2007 Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act which was due to expire at midnight. According to NAR, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed the Senate 89-9.

There was an awful lot of concern among real estate licensees and borrowers either in or considering a short sale that the tax ramifications of a short sale would change with the expiration of the 2007 law. The extension saw to it that anyone who has purchase mortgage debt forgiven in, for example, a short sale would not have the forgiven debt treated as taxable income.

There is always small print as to what qualifies, so all are encouraged to consult with their CPA, attorney or financial professional for specific advice, but the current law will continue unchanged, and that is good news.

This had been a big distraction and concern for the bulk of 2012. I am not happy about how long it took lawmakers to get their act together on this, but that is the climate we are in. The result is a happy one.

Special thanks to Fred Glick for being on top of this and keeping his colleagues in the know.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Goal setting for 2013 - Treat your business like a business

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:16:02 -0800

New Year's resolutions. Yuck! You set them. Then for most people before January even ends, you have already broken them. I have never been one for making these resolutions. If you are in the real estate business, then you need to be doing what normal business people do.

Treat your business LIKE A BUSINESS. Take the slow time during the winter months to work on your budgets. Figure out what is and is not working. Then set some goals, both long-term and short-term for your business. Develop a strategic plan of action to make those goals happen. I call mine a strategic business plan, and I make sure to review and re-develop it at least once every quarter.

Maybe that is all a little too deep for your average real estate person, but it should not be. So here are a few tips on developing and then achieving your goals.

Just remember the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Your goals need to be:

(1) Specific. Clearly defined and written. If a goal is too vague, it becomes too hard to measure and plan for. If it is not in writing, then you probably are not serious about it anyway.

(2) Measurable. You need to have some way to determine how close you are to achieving your goal. That way you can make changes as necessary to continue moving forward.

(3) Attainable. A goal needs to be worthy of the time, effort, and expense involved to attain it. It needs to be something that you can thrust yourself into so that you are motivated to get it accomplished as scheduled.

(4) Realistic. A goal needs to be just out of reach but not out of sight. If the goal is too simple to accomplish, you just need to do it and get it out of the way. If the goal is too difficult to accomplish, you need to break it down into smaller goals.

(5) Timely and tangible. A goal needs a specific deadline to be accomplished by. This creates a sense of urgency to get it done.

Break your goals down into the smallest denominator that you can. If you have never bought a house (or listed a house) before, then flipping 50 houses in 2013 might be unrealistic. However if you want to flip/list 50 houses in 2013, then that means just over 4 houses selling every month. If your ratio of converting offers into a closing is 1 out of 3, then you need to be working on 12 solid leads every month to get 4 to close. If 4 out of 5 leads are not investor price/term deals, then you need to generate 60 property leads (or make 60 offers) every month (or 15 per week / 3 per business day) in order to get 12 solid leads in order to get 4 to close. The numbers above are just for example, but hopefully you get the drift.

I spend approximately 30 minutes every Sunday evening planning out my upcoming week. This helps me get a jump start on Monday morning. On the last Sunday of every month, I spend another 30 minutes or so setting my goals and plans for the upcoming month; I base these monthly goals on my yearly and longer-term goals for myself and my business. Additionally every day before I close up shop, I spend about 10 minutes writing up a to-do list for the next day. I am not a morning person, so if I do not do this I would end up spending 2 hours the next morning floundering around figuring out what I need to do. Time management software like Microsoft Outlook can make keeping you on track very easy to do.

Regardless of what plans you have for the New Year, set a few goals. Even if you only accomplish half of what you set out to do, that puts you way ahead of where you would have been otherwise. I hope that 2013 brings you a fantastic and prosperous year. If you need help or advice with getting your real estate career on track, feel free to contact me.

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com

We sell foreclosure, short sale, and bank owned REO house home throughout Central Florida and metro Orlando. Sign up for our free email list of foreclosure and great Orlando house deals.

We buy homes damaged by sinkhole, storm, and fire. www.WeBuySinkhole.com

We buy houses Florida - all situations - all conditions. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com