Short Sales

Short sales is an area of real estate I'm afraid we are all going to encounter given the market conditions.  I have had the opportunity to learn from several experienced agent and I have had great success with them.  I must however share with the folks considering working short sales...BE PREPARED!!!  They will involve a lot of your time and energy and you will have to fight for your hard earned commission.  You will have to be VERY patient and also make sure that you reserve enough time to conduct other business since Short sales are so unpredictable.  In the end you will be doing something that is priceless to your customer, preserve their credit history and enable them to purchase another sooner than foreclosure.  Be sure to get an experienced agents help if you are new to them as there is really no room for error and your license is not worth the risk, pay a referral fee and learn from it.  Good Luck and take this for what it's worth... I have yet to find a bank that did not come to some sort of agreement in a short sale situation, they don't want to foreclose and take it under asset, I don't care what they tell you.

New/Additional domain names

MakeYourMoveWithMike.com has been around for almost 6 years now but it was time to add some additional domain names to the site.  You can now access the site by going to MikeCarlos.com, pretty self explanatory, I just thought it was important that I register my name to get more exposure when people search for me on the web.  I also registered and liked SouthwoodLots.com to appeal to buyers and sellers of building lots in the Southwood community.  I will look at add some additional ones in the near future but for now this gives everyone a few easy choices to remember one of the site domain names.

Tallahassee, FL Real Estate Market is Heating up!!!

Tallahassee, FL Real Estate Market is Heating up!!!

Don't let the media fool you.  The market is heating up and buyers are starting to realize the opportunities out there. 

 AGENTS!!! Get your forks, get out there and get you a piece of this pie while it's hot!

Happy selling-

Mike Carlos

Open Houses-How do you hold an successful one?

I have been asking everyone to share their success for holding open houses.  I have done 5 trillion of them and just can't seem to get them right.  I am sure it is my attutide towards them but I am going to make a commitment to really try harder and look at them as a source of leads instead of a waste of time.  However I would like to know what you all do to make sure your time is well spent on Sunday afternoons.  Any tips or aids you can share with me? 

Heard the saying? "Buyers are liars" Here are my thoughts

I am not one to judge and jump to conclusions and don't like general comments like "Buyers are Liars" but I have to tell you this week has made it hard for me to not feel that way.  I have had 2 separate buyers tell me they were not working with an agent (I always ask twice) and I showed them homes to find out they had already seem homes a Realtor and wanted to have another look and decided to make the offer with the other agent because they showed it to them first.  I know I need to start using a buyer's brokerage agreement but it is just not accepted here in our market.  I am taking a course here at Keller Williams to teach us the best ways to ask and get BBA signed but it still doen't explain why buyers feel the need to lie and waste people's time.  Just venting I guess since it happened twice in the same week. 

Your comments & suggestions-Please!

The Power of Synergy in Real Estate

 The Power of Synergy in Real Estate

As you all know I recently moved to Keller Williams.  I have to tell you all that I had no idea that my work environment and the people that surround me would have such a dramatic effect on my business. 

Only being in my second week and still dealing with transition stuff to put it nicely.  I managed to get 2 new listings, showed 2 buyers and write a contract for one of them, went to 2 other listing appointments that I am confident will get signed this coming week and scheduled 2 more listing appointments for next next.  I also received 2 offers on one of my listings (can you say multiple offers, say what!!!!!)

All this to emphasize the POWER of Synergy as surrounding yourself with successful people with Drive can only fuel you if you have it in you!!!

Happy Selling Everyone!

Realtor Certifications/Designations

Realtor Certifications/Designations

Well I did it, I got my first designation yesterday, AHWD or At Home With Diversity.  By far it is not the most recognizable but one everyone should obtain for the knowledge it offers.  I was amazed to find out how there were so many cultural differences I was not even aware of.  Many things we do on a daily basis without a thought can be very offensive when dealing with someone from a different culture.  It was eye opening for sure and I hope to be able to build and develop better relationships with multi cultural clients.  At the beginning of the class everyone was so uncomfortable about the topics discussed but by the end of the class we all had a more open mind towards the topic and a better understanding of the many cultural differences.  I highly recommend it to everyone as I will not only make you a better Realtor but also a better person.

My first 10 days at Keller Williams

WOW is all I can say.  I have been so busy; between the transition process of changing signs, presentations, training classes, organizing my new office, working on closings and lead generation.  I have all this bottled energy and drive that I had lost over the last few years.  I started Camp 4-4-3 yesterday and I am so excited about my homework (I never thought I would say that).  I am so pleased with my decision to join KW and hope to have some of my old colleagues join me soon.

SHORT SALE for sale in TALLAHASSEE, FL 6410 Williams Road-$289,000

SHORT SALE for sale in TALLAHASSEE, FL 6410 Williams Road-$289,000 

Tremendous opportunity on this POOL Home valued at approx. 325k purchased from the builder 1 year ago for 350k.  4 bedrooms 3 baths w/over-sized 2 car garage on .47 acre privacy fenced lot. This beautiful home is move-in condition and has cherry wood floors, granite counters, stainless steel appliances,crown moulding, sprinkler system, large screened patio, huge master bath & walk-in closet.

Lender is ready to go (appraisal and seller package already completed) as we had an offer in review but the buyer could not wait and had to back out and close on something else.  MAKE OFFER!

Click on one of the links below for additional pictures and information

Click Here to View Listings  or www.MakeYourMoveWithMike.com

 

Mike

Mike Carlos & Associates

KELLER WILLIAMS

Town & Country Realty

(850) 656-9080 Phone

(866) 585-6453 Toll Free FAX

www.MakeYourMoveWithMike.com

http://Activerain.com/realtormike58

Self Directed Retirement Plans allow you to invest in Real Estate

Self Directed Retirement Plans allow you to invest in Real Estate using retirement funds from your IRAs and 401ks.

Most people are not aware that their retirement funds can be used to invest in real estate.  The main benefit of investing through an IRA is the tax-deferred or tax-free growth. The individual investments made within the IRA are not taxed. Therefore, if you buy a property that has income (rent) or a property that appreciates over time, you will not have to pay taxes on those gains. You can use the money you would have paid in taxes to continue to grow your IRA. Taxes are paid only when you take a distribution at retirement age (unless your account is a Roth IRA; then, distributions are tax free). There is over $4 trillion dollars in retirement accounts and less than 3% in invested in Real Property.  One of the biggest reason consumers are not aware of this tremendous opportunity is that most brokerage firms do not offer this service due to their company structure.  Only a company that offers Self Directed Retirement Plans can offer you this opportunity.  The process is very much like a traditional cash real estate transaction for the exception that there is a third party involved.  Your IRA actually makes the purchase through your instructions and retains title to your IRA until a sale occurs.  Upon a sale the proceeds return to the Self directed IRA awaiting your next transaction all while your gains remain deferred.  So often we hear of the importance of diversification yet the majority of people who have retirement accounts fails to add Real Property to their portfolio.  For more information comment back or contact me directly. 

Mike Carlos-Realtor, Mike Carlos & Associates at Keller Williams Town & Country Realty.

Phone (850) 656-9080 or MikeCarlos.Realtor@gmail.com