Sounds weird saying that doesn't it, but guess what...it is true! Real Estate is not about how much money you make on the transactions. My wife works with all the buyers and she never looks at what price home or real estate they are looking at. She treats them all the same, whether it is a $50,000 home or a $1 Million home, makes no difference. Real Estate is not about the Broker. The Broker, where you have your license at sometimes forgets that he is making money by keeping those that place their license with him. If you treat your workers bad, they will treat you bad...simple and plain. If the market is turning, don't come into the office driving up in your $150,000 sports car talking about your tee time on the course, but guess what, people take notice and they don't appreciate it (I myself could care less but when people in the office are trying to figure out where their next cell bill payment is coming from, it doesn't make sense).
And lastly, Real Estate is about the People. The People on both side of the transaction, the buyers, the sellers, and how you interact with them all. This is not a kill sport. For this to work well, all sides must feel good about the entire transaction and feel good about themselves, not trying to screw the other. Common courtesy always helps.
So on your next meeting with your clients, put yourself in their shoes and treat them like you would want to be treated...don't put a dollar sign on their head. Help them to the best of your ability. When you help someone, kindness and income come 10x fold.
It was getting kicked around that the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) was wanting to charge people who bought short sale properties the amount the property was really worth and not the price that they actually paid for it. This in itself created a bunch of turmoil among Real Estate Agents, Title Company's, and the Florida Association of Realtors.
In a quick turnaround, the Florida DOR reversed its decision to collect this added doc stamp tax to ensure that the housing recovery would continue in Florida without intervention from them. To Be honest, this should have never come up in the first place but I am glad they came to their senses, and got their quickly!
Tampa Real Estate | Tampa Foreclosures | Tampa Real Estate Blog Team Masse services the Tampa Bay Real Estate market and the following areas: Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Gibsonton, South Tampa, and Channelside District. Contact us at 813-546-5222 for more assistance.
Being an agent in the Tampa Real Estate Market I am often asked if I am going to sell my home, what renovations should I do that will gain me the most bang for the buck. Well, first off, you must decide if the renovations are going to be for yourself, in other words, do you plan on staying in the home for a period of time after the fact, or do you plan on doing these home renovations for the sake of Selling the home.
If you answered "Staying for a while", then make the renovations that you will enjoy for the time period that you plan to stay and don't worry about the rest. If you chose to do renovations for resale, your best bet is either in the Kitchen or in the bathrooms. If you have to choose one, then choose the kitchen. The kitchen gives you a much higher return on investment than any other room in the house. Just make sure that whatever renovations you do, they are up to what people are looking for in the style home you have. In other words, if you own a contemporary home, don't put a country style kitchen in your home, it won't make sense!
If you are unsure exactly what to change, the call to a licensed Real Estate Agent familiar with your neighborhood would be a beneficial call for advice as well as what they believe the improvements will bump your home in value!
Hey, I have lived in a few different places around the country, and I can tell you that they all have their choice of storms. In Oklahoma I dealt with Tornado's, in Boston I dealt with Northeasters and Blizzards, and now in Florida I deal with Hurricanes. Well, I haven't been thru one yet, I have been here in Tampa Bay for some 5 years now, so I consider myself luck.
So now we have one approaching and I do a little homework...this is for others that may be new to the state and don't have a firm grasp of what they need to do...Lets call this Robs Survival Guide.
If you have pets, make sure you have all their records, medications, food and plenty of water for them.
Get plenty of water for yourself, you may need it not only to drink, but to bathe as well.
Have batteries on hand, flashlight, and a radio that does not need to be plugged in to operate.
Have an escape route ready if you need to use it (better safe than sorry).
If you have children, make sure you have handy toys to occupy them in the event you loose power.
Know where the storm shelters are in your area.
There are plenty of other things that can be added to the list depending on everyones circumstances, but above all, don't be afraid to leave your home for a shelter. You can replace the home, but you can't replace your life.
Stay smart and Safe!
Tampa Real Estate | Tampa Foreclosures | Tampa Real Estate Blog Team Masse services the Tampa Bay Real Estate market and the following areas: Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Gibsonton, South Tampa, and Channelside District. Contact us at 813-546-5222 for more assistance.
Facebook is a social network I have spent a lot of time with. I am not surprised that Facebook has surpassed MySpace as the King of the Hill sort to speak. Facebook is one of those sites that is so popular because it can be configured anyway the person likes. In addition to that, there are these things call Facebook Applications that give the network whole new functionality. Coming from a technical background, I tend to look for whatever technology I can to help me achieve my goals in the Tampa Real Estate Market. Facebook is one of those "technical advantages".
It is possible to do Facebook "wrong" as well. The three keys I believe that makes Facebook effective is
Be honest with people on the site, people can smell a fake.
Create a complete profile, make sure you fill in everything the first time, tweak it later.
Contribute...Like anything, don't expect to just create your account and then forget about it. The more you contribute, the better the experience, and the business in the end.
Whatever Social Network you belong to, or don't, it is and will be the way of the future for marketing, so you might as well get in on the bottom, you'll be glad you did!
Working in the Tampa Real Estate Market can take a toll on a person. My wife and I are a team and we are very successful at getting our clients what they want for the price they want it for. But with all that negotiating, it does tend to take a toll on a person (although I love to bargain). In either event, we needed a get away. My step daughter is down from MN so she can watch the house and dogs, and we are going to the beach for a few days...No dogs, no calls, no nothing. Well, not completely without the phone (locked it up in the safe while at the beach), no Internet access, bothered me at first but then, hey I am on vacation.
In either event, the beach was wonderful, the sand was soft, the water was warm, and my wife was fun again (we are both very driven so in a work environment, we are both very aggressive professionals). We often forget the reasons why we live where we live. I live in the Tampa Area because I love the water and the beach...and the weather. So if you are like me and want to enjoy life, please look us up, and take a look at the Tampa Bay Real Estate Market, I know you will be glad you did!
I work in the Tampa Real Estate Market and I know for some agents, the market is tough for them. I look at it differently since I am a different kind of realtor. I learned Real Estate from a Technical Point of view being an engineer in the past so my real estate business is pretty busy. In either event, some of the negotiations that I have gone through have been heated on the other side of the negotiation. The other agent has gotten nasty and has put their own emotions ahead of their client. Hey Listen, I can go blow to blow with you, but I put my clients ahead of any issue I may have with the other agent. I work to get the contract closed regardless of the issues.
By showing me your nasty face tells me one of two things...either you are in the wrong industry, or you haven't done this long enough to understand the business. Either way, put your emotions aside, get the contract closed, and make a friend for life.
Tampa Real Estate | Tampa Foreclosures | Tampa Real Estate Blog Team Masse services the Tampa Bay Real Estate market and the following areas: Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Gibsonton, South Tampa, and Channelside District. Contact us at 813-546-5222 for more assistance.
The current Tampa Real Estate Market is on the move. The active listings are down, clients are out trying to buy up all the low price and well priced properties, first time home buyers are able to buy homes that they couldn't purchase homes a couple of years ago, and 2nd home buyers are able to afford that home on the beach that they thought was out of reach. The market today is very different from the market of yesterday, but homes are selling and selling at an incredible rate.
The market is on fire and eventually will turn from a Buyers market to a neutral market and then to a Sellers Market. Sometimes the Neutral to Sellers transition happens very quickly so don't miss out while the going is good.
Tampa Real Estate | Tampa Foreclosures | Tampa Real Estate Blog Team Masse services the Tampa Florida Real Estate market and the following areas: Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Gibsonton, South Tampa, and Channelside District.
The Tampa Real Estate Market has definitely gone thru a roller coaster ride with the Market on fire back in 2004-05 and then with the glut of Tampa Foreclosures starting in 2007-current. But there is a rainbow at the end of this storm. The banks have learned that it does not make sense to hold on to these properties in the hope of a sale at the court house steps. Not happening now a days. Instead, they are getting rid of their listings at a mind blowing rate. I have a client that wanted to see a number of properties, all within some level of foreclosure, and the day they wanted to see them, they were all under contract...except one. This one just so happens to be the number one on their list so it worked out. Also, they did write an offer on another property a week or so ago, about $5k under asking price, and it was turned down due to multiple offers.
The Market is full of people looking for deals, and the deals are many in this day and age. The homes that are priced for a quick sale are just that, going at a quick sale. As soon as those disappear, then the market will begin to move in an upward swing on prices.
So if you are in the market for a great home at a great price, don't wait to long, because nothing lasts forever.
Tampa Real Estate | Tampa Foreclosures | Tampa Real Estate Blog Team Masse services the Tampa Florida Real Estate market and the following areas: Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Gibsonton, South Tampa, and Channelside District. Contact us at 813-546-5222 for more assistance.
Don't believe all the hype you hear on the radio, TV, or newspaper. Check it out for yourself. Remember, the news media's main object is to gain viewership and readership...and keep in mind that Real Estate is a local thing. Just because homes aren't selling in Houston Texas for example, doesn't mean they are not selling in Tampa. Lets look at the statistics for a second and then you can draw some conclusions to what I say.
A year ago, the Tampa Real Estate Market had about 24 months worth of inventory. 3 Months ago, that same inventory was at about 15 months, and now we are sitting at 10 months inventory. Although I am no statistician (was an engineer in my past life so I know numbers, but this one is easy) I would say that things are selling at a very good pace. There are many good to great deals out there right now and those that have figured that out are jumping at the opportunities.
So don't take my word for it, do your own research, and if you are in the market to buy real estate, don't wait to long or think you can time the market...noone can. Determine what your goals are for buying property, and stick with it. Warren Buffet recently said that now is the best time to buy real estate...If you can't trust what the riches man in world says, who can you trust!
Robert Masse
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