I've been a full time Realtor® for almost 14 yrs now. It's the only job I have and it's the only job I can truly say I love...even during times when the economy stinks and people are losing their jobs left and right.

But it doesn't mean that I'm not human too. There are certianly some days when I just say to myself..."Why are you still doing this?" "Why are you constantly wasting your time with all the little stuff?" All the hours of hard work and what do you have to show for it?....$100 bucks here...$100 bucks there...$1000 here and $50 bucks there."

You know why? Because I'm making money...maybe not on the same level as it once was but it's still money. For example....If I take a listing and its a rental property for a minimal fee...I might end up with $300-$400 dollars if its a small condo in a retirement community. But I look at it this way...I have a website that I use and maintain myself...for the first two years I used it...the cost was free for their standard service. This year I was told they were starting to charge a fee. It was either a total of $120 for the entire year paid monthly or I could pay it in full for $100. One I decided on the $100...within 2 weeks I received 2 email prospects looking to rent out their condo. That was a few months ago...since then I've closed 6 of them with a new one just listed last week. If you do the math then you'll see that I probably made about $1800 dollars and since these "little leads" came from the website......I've already paid for my website for the next 18ys!

Think of it this way....if you like to have a steak dinner once and while and you want to have that nice thick steak...it could cost you about $20-$50 dollars for a enjoyable cut...and then you add in the beverages and maybe even an appetiser or two...well you could probably do all that for even under $100.....so next time you think about only making $100 on a deal...think about the steak dinner!

Remember that although we are looking for more than that to survive on...you still have expenses to pay out and I've just alleviated some with this scenario. In the mean time I can concentrate on selling my higher priced listings for sale and a few buyers and or renters that might pop up in between.

It's true that I'm not doing the numbers I was doing a few years ago and in no way am I ashamed to say so...but I've had at least 1 or more of these transactions each and every month. I've even managed to become a top Lister in my office two consecutive months and I didn't even know it until they told me....but this isn't about that...it's about taking in whatever you can.

I keep hearing from some agents that laugh at me and say..."I don't waste my time with that.....I'd rather wait for the big $20,000 commission to come in."  Well its' not like I'm not waiting for that either....I just feel that instead of sitting around and sulking...why not bring in some income and also maybe help some people out a long the way...no business is too big or too small for me...don't get me wrong..there are some exceptions but 90% won't be turned down by me because it might be small now but it could turn into a bigger opportunity later.

I'm sorry but I don't have a rich spouse to support me until the ship comes in ...nor do I have a Bentley parked on my driveway that needs gas every day. That's the problem with some agents these days...they are too ashamed to take the "little deals" or it might ruin their reputation....Sorry but my head isn't that big.

I know what you're going to say.....you work twice as hard and get twice as less...that might be true but in the end I'm going home with a check and possible future business. Can you honestly tell me that you think every single deal you'll do in your career will be easy? Some are hard for no money and some are easy for lots of money and vice versa. Every deal is different and we can't predict everything that's going to happen. Heck...I've got a short sale listing that's about to finally close but it's been a year and a half of many sagas and bitching and moaning and how much time and money I've lost...but you know what? When it closes...I'm going to congratulate everyone and maybe even celebrate just having the opportunity and getting to learn more about my business and dealing with different people.

One time I had a client who had me seller them a little condo for about 100K.....not a very big pay day for me but after a few years we ended up doing 8 other transactions as well as I was referred to their relative who I did three other transactions with.

All I can say is my reputation isn't that large that I would turn down most opportunities...many people forget where they came from and that's sad.

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

How many times have you had buyers that give you a list of some neighborhoods that they would consider to live in?

Have you ever heard of Racial Steering?

This subject is more about the consumer not wanting to go into certain areas but I want to know how agents would handle these situations.

Quite frankly....I haven't heard that term in so long that I thought it might well be extinct by now.

Sometimes a buyer isn't familiar with every neighborhood they want to inquire about and they rely on us to give them as much in detail as we can.

Some people who read this might actually disagree....

For example...A buyer might want to see homes in neighborhood X. Once you show up to see these properties they might notice that they aren't thrilled with the look of the neighborhood or they might not even like the people they see roaming around. This is a true fact. I've actually had buyers in the past tell me that they didn't think it was a safe area just from driving around. I've had buyers tell me that they didn't like the neighborhood because the location was too noisy from all the traffic they could hear on the roads. I've even had people tell me that they didn't like a neighborhood because it was too quiet. "TO QUIET?" That one actually caught me off guard but then I realized that some people might actually like to hear noise just because it made them think the neighborhood felt safer.

I just can't understand why sometimes people ask me questions that put me in an uncomfortable zone. How many of you have been approached with some of these questions?..."What type of people live here?" "I hear there are many forieghners living here" "We want to be with our own kind"......I JUST DON'T GET IT... but I guess its still alive and well out there.....even in the Real Estate industry.

But what about when you get a buyer that asks you what type of people live there? Or what the demographic make up is? How would you handle that? As Realtors®...we have to watch how we interpret that question and how we answer it...just to make sure that we don't inadvertently violate any laws. I would probably direct them to a website like The National Center for Education Statistics .... where they can actually check out school information as well as demographical data.

When a potential buyer calls me and wants to see property... I'll show them whatever they wish to see. That's just me. But I've heard that there are agents out there that still are working in the dark ages. If you ever took a class at your local board...you'll see that they give you sample videos on the do's and dont's.

There are still testers out there who look for this type of stuff.

Be sure you understand the situation at hand. Be aware of it because you care...not because you might get caught saying or doing the wrong thing.

It's still a serious issue going on in the world.

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

DID YOU KNOW that you're entitled to grieve your Real Estate Taxes? Yes...as the owner of Real Estate...its your legal right to challenge your real estate tax bill.

CONSIDER GRIEVING YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES NOW....TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

This is is also going on all across the country so please check with your county for more information.

Don't let all your hard earned money go to waste...we've all been burned enough.

Don't assume that your local authorities will contact you because they won't....if you believe your assessments should be lower ... then you've got to act now!

Only a small percentage of all property owners ever try to obtain a reduction in their property assessment. "WHY?"...because they aren't aware that it's actually available to you right now. For those who do challenge their property assessment...many in South Florida are successful in obtaining sizable tax reductions using the Value Adjustment Board Petition process with assessment reductions in the millions annually.

In just the past few years, property taxes have increased at an alarming rate.

Even if tax cuts are passed by the state government...it still doesn't change the fact that you may be overassessed by your local county officials. Reducing your assessments now is the basis for lower future assessments and savings on future property taxes.

County assessment records can be inaccurate in many different ways and that includes errors in property descriptions....land and building square footage.....building condition....even simple mathematical or clerical errors.

The number 1 reason for over-assessment is.....failure by local authorities to fully recognize the sharp decreases in market value due to a steep decline in the South Florida Real Estate Market.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR DADE....BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES.

Sept 14th 2009 -This is the deadline for filing petitions to contest the proposed assessed value of the property in Palm Beach County.
 
Sept 18th 2009 -This is the deadline for filing petitions to contest the proposed assessed value of the property in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. 

Nov 1st 2009 -This is the date when the Revenue Collector mails the tax bills to property owners of record.

• Taxe payments are due by March 1, 2010.

Most consumers who have owned home are aware that if you had an equity line of credit on your home.....most likely they''ve had their accounts frozen or suspended. It's been going on for a long time now and it doesn't seem like most people can get one. They're pretty much non-existent.

I was one of the lucky ones who didn't get theirs suspended until June 2009. The bank claimed that they informed me but I never received the letter they claimed to have sent out...I found out by checking my online account.

The reason I took out an equity line of credit on my home was only for emergency reasons...such as a need for quick cash in order to pay a bill or to use it as my operating expenses for my business. It was actually something that I didn't even know about back in 2001. I was short on cash and I was spending a lot on expenses to get my business back up and running. You see...back then I had to take a part time job just so I had enough to lay out for my marketing. I figured that once the money came rolling in from the deals I anticipated would close...I would then pay it back either monthly or all of it at once. I got a great rate...my agreement was to get prime rate minus .50 basis points. At the time I thought this was a great idea. I couldn't figure out where I was going to come up with money and now I had my answer.

After we sold our home in 2005....we paid off the last one at 60K and then when we purchase our new home...we qualified for 110K. We took it and used it as we needed it. Just like before....we paid it back. We didn't owe the bank a dime...still we had an open checkbook just in case. I know that some people used these accounts just to cash out all the equity in their homes and go on a spending spree. I was lucky not to take advantage of it and use it occasionally on some toys but I always paid it back.

A few months ago my bank informed me that they were suspending the account due to the fact that the value of my home just went down 50%! when I purchase the home ...I put down about 40%. You would think that by putting down that much that there would still be some equity in the home. Well by trying to do the right thing...we just lost a quarter of a million dollars and if we had to sell the home today...we'd still be up side down.

The bank wouldn't even consider us for a loan modification unless we start being late on our payments....why would we want to do this? Even if we refinanced...the difference in our payments would be minimal and we'd have to add back another 10K to the original loan and start back at 30 yrs.

My wife said it best....let's not use our home as a piggy bank...only for emergency reasons.

It's interesting enough that since our second mortgage is with a dfferent bank than our first.......they think our home is worth less and yet the first mortgage holder could care less as long we still are paying based on the original sales price value. Whats even more disturbing to me is that the second mortgage holder said our value was X but the county showed it a bit higher. This makes absolutely no sense to me.... so why would it make sense for the consumer?

In closing...if your banks aren't willing to help you then it's time to grieve your Real Estate taxes.

Don't let your bank or local government take all your hard-earned money.

It is every property owner's Legal right to challenge the real estate tax bill they receive.

SO NOW YOU KNOW.

If you want to learn more about the process and what you can do please visit >>>HERE

Some of the excerpts above were brought to you by www.propertytaxreductionservices.com

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

Last week I went to my office to do some unfinished paperwork.

Sometimes I just like to go into the office....get some things done and also just to say hello to some of my comrades and hear the daily buzz.

So I'm standing at the front desk talking to the office assistants and I look across the room and I see this women holding up a piece of paper with what looked like a copy of a check. I wasn't looking directly at it so I really didn't pay much attention to the amount on it as that wasn't any of my business anyway. Apparently she was very happy and she was expressing her excitement about something so I asked..."may I ask why you're so happy?"My assistant cut in and said....."she's happy because she just closed her first deal!" So I inquired..."is she new?"Apparently she just started in the business 7 months ago and she finally closed her first Real Estate transaction. She was telling me it was a very difficult deal that she thought never was going to close...but in the end.....it did.

She was so happy....I told her that it actually was good to get a difficult one out of the way first because when she closes an easier deal...she'll be even more happy and excited. We discussed the deal a bit and as she was telling me a little about it...she started to cry. I asked her.... "why are you crying?.. You just closed your first deal."She told me that they were not tears of sadness...they were tears of joy. She just was so relieved that the last 7 months all came out and was more relieved than anything. I told her to go out with your family and celebrate!

I told her to keep plugging away and that she was more fortunate then many other new agents are in this day and age with all that's going on in our industry. I said "now just celebrate the success" and to also celebrate how she overcame everything to make it happen.

We now talk when we see each other and I've offered her many of my stories and she was definitely listening because she kept writing down notes.That made "me" feel good as well...that's because I was once there too....I remember a long time ago that there was this other rookie agent that once walked into a Real Estate office during the holidays and said "Hi I just got my license and I want to work here"

That was almost 14 yrs ago...and that rookie agent was me.

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

I'm mostly a listing agent so I don't work with many buyers these days....back when I sold Real Estate in NY...I spent more time with buyers but that was then and this is now.

I received a referral from out of state Keller Williams agent. I met with the buyers and asked them questions so I would know exactly what they were looking for. I found out that they were approved for an FHA loan. At first....they requested to see all REO's and foreclosures. Now that's fine when you're dealing with a buyer and a conventional loan but its virtually impossible for them to purchase these types of homes because of the FHA guidelines regarding inspections. I advised my clients that they have absolutely no protection and that they basically were at the mercy of the bank or holding company.

I met with them and showed them one of these properties in good faith and then I brought in an addendum with a laundry list so long it had to be printed on two pages.

I have them set up on an automatic responder that is set up to send them a link to any property that comes on the market or changes it status. I've probably sent them over 100 prospects...yet they've only had 1 choice so far and I plan on showing them the property tomorrow.

They're also are a bit antsy right now because they were hoping to take advantage of the $8,000 credit.

Any suggestions? Probably not.

I also failed to mention they also require the seller to pay some of their closing costs.

I'm willing to keep looking for them but they don't have many to chose from and I think that these types of homes are more tailored for the conventionalloan , cash buyer or an investor.

I understand the concept but with inventory levels cut in half and less normal opportunities out there......it's making it very difficult for a consumer to purchase a home in my area.

The moral to this story is if you're a consumer...ask your Realtor® these questions.....maybe they can help you.

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

Hollywood FL condos for sale-Canadians are coming to Hollywood Beach FL 

  Hollywood Beach FL

Hollywood FL condos near the beach

September is the start of when our snowbirds and tourists start returning to our sunshine state. Snow fall will be forthcoming and this is the time for them to start their holiday vacations and what better than to spend it in our very warm and comfortable climate. The weather in Hollywood Beach FL has been overcast and in the 90's but in the fall it's usually comfortable and virutally less in humidity.

With such an inflated amount of condos for sale in Hollywood FL....."it is an excellent time buy a home." Prices have come down quite a bit over the last 3 years and inventory levels have reached all time highs. But there was one thing we discovered.

Inventory over the last few years has been properties that are on the verge of foreclosure ..while many others have gone the route of trying to have a Realtor® negotiate a short sale. Banks are trying to give the sellers the option of negotiating a short sale to save both parties thousands of dollars and save the owners from going into foreclosure. The biggest issue with these types of transactions is the waiting time. Most will take anywhere from 3-12 months. But don't fret...there are still some properties available that can be had without all those hassles...you just have to search for them....and finding a good agent to send you properties is the key and the Bloom and Kohn Team of Keller Williams Properties can help you with that. All you have to do is send us an email request with the property criteria search you are looking for.

As of today...the Canadian dollar exchange rate have been holding right below $1.00. That is still good news for our past,present and future clients. In general .."it is a great time to buy a home in Hollywood Beach FL." Currently..there are over 15,000 condos/townhomes on the market throughout Broward County...... about 1,400 of them are Condos/Town-homes in Hollywood FL.

Take a strol on the fully renovated board walk...stop by a restuarant or just grab a pizza.

Come visit the beach of Hollywood FL today.

You will be glad you looked at all the opportunities available.                           

If you are interested in moving to our area......then we strongly urge you to visit Hollywood FL-you can also preview condos for sale >>>here.

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved

Century Village Condo's For Sale-Deerfield Beach FL

It is a great time to buy so come see all the Century Village Deerfield Beach FL Condo's For Sale.

There are many condo's available now!

We continue to keep the public informed with our automatic Century Village market reports... get an on-line guided tour and see what's really happening in Century Village!

Why drive around when you can take our virtual guided tour right here!

So far in 2009... we've listed and sold 10 units as well as sold additional units that weren't our listings. We'll continue to keep the public informed with our automatic value check... get an on-line guided tour and see what's really happening in Century Village!

• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Recently Listed
• Priced Low
• Large Executive Model

For more information please contact Neal The Real Deal Bloom-Realtor® /Keller Williams Properties

1625 N. Commerce Parkway,Suite 105

Weston FL 33326

(954)608-5556

The Real Deal tells it Like it is in Real Estate-copyright © 2009-All rights reserved