MIGUEL's Blog

Be carefull about Real Estate Nationwide Company

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:16:05 -0600

In the years of the boom, 2005 and up there were lots of new licensees as well as Real Estate Companies. Some may be consider oustanding, some Excellent and some good, but the thuth is none of the the best will stay for longer.

However we carefull of some Nationwide companies such ZIPREALTY, not only is dishonest with their agents but they organization is completely repulsive.

If someone would like to have proof of bad pratices and dishonest behavior, do not hesitate to contact me for proof of words. ( from the courts not from the public)

This company is being sued all over the country because of their continuing practice of stealing commission to the agents!!!!!!Big Time!!!!!

SO BE WATHCFULL AND DONT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS CROOKS.

10 Ways to Build a Money-Making Email List

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:20:37 -0500

Do you have an email list of clients, friends and acquaintances with whom you make contact on a regular basis?

One of the most effective ways to increase sales is to build an email list and have a regular, value-oriented contact program. How profitable can an email (or even offline) database be for you?

Do the simple math: If you grew a list of 300 homeowners who, on average, own their homes for 6 years each, then 50 transactions will come from that group each and every year – not including referrals they could send you.

Question: Who will get those 60 transactions?

Answer: The agent who’s made regular, welcomed contact with information they’ll value and use…the agent who’s demonstrated their professionalism, competence and follow-through…the agent who’s built the deepest relationship.

In my Free course, “The Ultimate Real Estate Success Secret™” (enroll for free Click Here ) I call this your “Personal Market Share™”. Take a look around at the most successful agents, and you’ll discover they generate the majority of their business from referrals, word of mouth and repeat business – their Personal Market Share™. Creating and nurturing relationships is how good agents become great agents.

So how do you build an email list? Same way you eat an elephant…one bite at a time. Here are 10 easy ways to get you started...

1. Design Your Site or Landing Pages Around Capturing Visitor Contact Information. First and foremost, if your site isn’t designed to motivate visitors to volunteer their contact information, all other efforts will be in vain. How do you get people to give you their information? By offering them access to something of value in their eyes…something that appeals to their self-interests. You can start with a simple “sign-in” book. Or better yet, offer access to special consumer reports revealing helpful tips on buying, selling and financing. Or you could offer to send them your Free Service For Life!® newsletter each month (www.ServiceForLife.com). Or you could even create a “squeeze page” where a visitor must give you their contact information to receive their information or make a public search on MLS.

Important Note: Remember, if you don’t have (at minimum) a monthly contact program – with content that’s helpful and welcomed to them – chances are they’ll forget about you, and your list will be worthless. There’s a marketing axiom that says, “for every month that you neglect to contact your list, you lose 10% of them.” Ten months of no contact, and you’re starting from scratch.

2. Get The Organic SEO Basics Down. The most valuable way to drive traffic to your site (and thus capture visitor information) is by having a high ranking with your “preferred words” with major search engines. This includes focusing on your page title, meta tags, key words in your header language, 1st paragraph key words, and putting raw informational content on your site. Your site(s) and any content you create on them should be regularly submitted to the major search engines and key directories. Some agents can handle this task themselves, while others hire specialized SEO companies to do the work for them. Search your local online directories for SEO companies in your area.

3. Make Sure Your Website Address is Everywhere. Put it on your letterhead, advertising, listing signs, listing info tube flyers,stationery, listing sign-in area and around your open houses, business cards, home and personal brochures, your car sign (if you use one), the return address of every email and on everything you pass out to clients (coffee mugs, key chains, free reports, etc.).

4. Give People a REASON to Visit Your Site – If you simply put your web URL everywhere, don’t be surprised if no one visits. No one acts without a self-serving reason, and no one will visit your site without a meaningful reason for doing so. Reveal the benefit of visiting your site along with your web address. Want some examples? OK, how about: “Find Your Perfect Home by Searching The MLS at [www.YourWebSite.com]. Or, “Free Home Seller Consumer Reports at [www.YourWebSite.com]. Or, “Learn 40 Ways to Get Top Dollar For Your Home at [www.YourWebSite.com].” When they get to your site, you can then capture their contact information.

5. Use a Benefit-Rich URL, or Special URL for Each Listing You Take. Benefit-rich URL’s do 2 things: 1) they imply a reason why someone may want to visit, and 2) they are generally easier to remember. Want a few examples? How about: [www.HomeSellingSecrets.com], [www.BuyMoreHomeForLess.com], and [www.PreferredBuyerFinancing.com] (NOTE: These URL’s are examples only). Some agents actually register their listing home address as the URL (for example, [www.123MainStreet.com]). The site is dedicated to giving specific information about the listing, but also offers special reports and MLS access once a visitor registers and provides contact info.

6. Submit Articles about Real Estate to Local Publications. What most agents don’t understand is, media publications and outlets are starving for content. You’re an expert in real estate, aren’t you? Then it would be a snap to create simple 250 or 500 word articles about buying or selling and submit them to local publications: community magazines, newspapers and news outlets. Make sure your web site is on everything, including your author bio.

7. Place a Promotional Signature on All Your Emails. Every email you send should have signature language that drives people to your site (or, better yet, a link to your site). List out all the reasons why someone should visit your site, then craft a simple, short paragraph for your email signature. Here’s sample language you could use: “Helpful Resources For Buyers and Sellers: Get Free consumer reports on buying, selling and financing, search the MLS, get a Free valuation of Your Home and More at [www.YourWebSite.com].

8. Create Reciprocal Promotions with Compatible Businesses. One of the most powerful ways to generate traffic to your site, and create a strong client surge, is to create promotions through suppliers and compatible businesses. Simply ask yourself, “what suppliers do I know who already have a strong relationship with clients who could be mine?” List those suppliers/contacts, then approach them with a proposal to promote each other’s business. For example, you may find a remodeler who sends a simple email to his/her list that offers resources from your site, and vice versa. You can even create reciprocal links to each other’s sites. It’s very easy to do once you get started.

9. Submit Online and Offline Press Releases. Anytime the news reports a trend or event in real estate, you have an opportunity to generate huge publicity and traffic to your site. Simply tie a selection of resources at your site (such as consumer reports) as news to your press release, or write a brief article tied to the current news trend, and include your web site URL.

10. Buy a Banner or Text Ad in a Community Email Publication. More and more local publications are now offering their news and content online. And if the audience they target is the same as yours, you now have an opportunity to create targeted banner and text ads in those publications. Simply create a short banner or text ad (with a valuable offer), then have a link that terminates to your site. It’s that simple.

National Realty News Staff Writer :Thursday, July 26, 2007 - By Craig Forte, Contributing Editor

Preconstruction list

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:39:30 -0500

PRECONSTRUCTION CONDOS IN FORT MYERS/SARASOTA
Botanica Lakes | INN at Pelican Bay | Little Harbor | Monaco | Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa

PRECONSTRUCTION CONDOS IN FORT PIERCE/PORT SAINT LUCIE
Monterey at Malibu | Portside Harborage Yacht Club | Strawberry Fields | The Club at St. Lucie West | Villa Vizcaya

Courtesy Preconstruction Networks

FIU plans Campus Football Stadium

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:23:43 -0500

FIU Plans Campus Football Stadium

Florida International University has undergone constant construction and expansion over the last decade. Since 1998 there have been numerous new buildings erected and others expanded: Green Library, Panther Hall, The Towers Residence Hall, Everglades Hall, The Mark Building, 4 new parking garages, a major expansion to the Graham Center (Student Union, new Bookstore, Law School, School of Architecture, School of Business Expansion, Recreation facility, Life Science Building, and Wellness Center. Recently, the State approved FIU's plans for a medical school. Now, GlobeSt.com reports on FIU's latest facilities expansion: its football stadium. The university's infant football program (winless last season) can look forward to playing in a an impressive new football stadium. With this expansion, FIU will be able to do what even UM has not, have a football stadium on the campus. The two phase plans will end up adding 45,000 seats (1,400 of the club level) to the stadium as well as a 6,500 sq. ft. Panther Club with 19 suites. Odebrecht, builders of the Performing Arts Center and MIA's north and south terminal, have been contracted for the job.

FIU Begins Construction of "Future House USA" in China

FIU, whose School of Hospitality has opened a branch in Tianjin University in China (reportedly the only one of its kind in all of China and unprecedented among American universities), has begun construction on "Future House USA" in Beijing, China. In the opening construction ceremony, many senior Chinese officials spoke.

Representatives of FIU's College of Engineering and Computing are assisting in project development. There are other U.S. collaborators but none are from academic institutions. Miami's only major public 4-year university has undergone some dramatic facility expansion projects over the last several years. This international joint venture marks a boost in the university's prestige while drawing some well deserved attention to Miami.

Source BoB Miami

Tracking emerging neighborhoods in Miami

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 21:35:53 -0500

Tracking Emerging Neighborhoods: S.W. 3rd Avenue Corridor
Map: The S.W. 3rd Avenue Corridor is shown in dark blue. The Roads is shown in red surrounding the Corridor, Brickell Village is shown in light blue, and the Simpson Park Triangle in green.

Orientation
The S.W. 3rd Avenue Corridor is south west of Brickell Village and surrounded by the residential neighborhood known commonly as "The Roads". The tree-lined Corridor begins at the junction where Coral Way turns from S.W. 22nd street into S.W. 3rd Avenue and ends at the I-95 overpass. Low density residential surrounds the Corridor on all sides. The area, although narrow and not very long, has some interesting newly built and planned mid-rise developments. Set amid a diverse mix of palatable international restaurants, the S.W. 3rd Avenue Corridor is an exciting prospect.

Project List: Coral Gables, Coral Way Corridor, and Kendall

Coral Gables:
Burger King HQ 200ft Office-Proposed
1300 Ponce 12 floors 136ft Office-Approved
Puerta de Palmas 17 floors Residential-Construction
100 Alhambra 15 floors Office-Proposed
X Aragon 15 floors Residential-Completed 2004
Ponce Tower 15 floors Residential-Approved
Ponce De Leon 14 floors Residential-Construction
Milano Tower 13 floors Residential-Completed 2004
2525 Ponce 12 floors Office-Completed 2004
La Palma 12 floors Hotel-Proposed
Village Place 10 floors Residential-Approved
55 Merrick Way, 2 mid size towers in Coral Gables, Douglas rd. and Miracle mile

Coral Way Corridor:
The Mile 22 floors 240ft Residential-Proposed
Blue at Coral Way 20 floors Residential-Approved
Gables Marquis 20 floors 200ft Residential-Approved
Roads at 18 19 floors 194ft Residential-Approved
Residences at Douglas 19 floors 192ft Residential -Proposed
Coral Sea View 15 floors 185ft Residential-Completed 2005
Luxor 16 floors 177ft Residential-Approved
Urbanea 14 floors 150ft Residential-Approved
Coral Way MU 13 floors 147ft Residential-Proposed
Byblos 12 floors 128ft Residential-Proposed
Miracle Center 7 floors 123ft Retail/Residential-Approved
Emerald Plaza 10 floors 103ft Residential-Approved
Nordica 17 floors Residential-Approved
Gables View 14 floors Residential-Completed 2005

Urban Kendall :
Metropolis I 25 floors Residential-Construction
Metropolis II 25 floors Residential-Construction
Fairfeild 25 floors Residential-Construction
Dadeland Park 25 floors Residential-Construction
Dadeland Towers 15 floors Residential-Construction
Colonnade 1 10 floors Residential-Approved
Colonnade 2 10 floors Residential-Approved
Colonnade 3 10 floors Residential-Approved
Colonnade 4 10 floors Residential-Approved

Source BoB:Miami

News from the Florida Keys

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 20:59:32 -0500

NOW is the time to buy property at a good price and enjoy the Keys while you wait for the maket to go back up, as it will! We have seen prices come way down. Many believe we've seen the bottom and prices will not go down further.

We are seeing more buyers looking at properties. Those buyers can find all types of properties for sale in all price ranges - it's the perfect time to buy that perfect home - whether it be a full time or part time place, single family home, mobile or condo.

Buyers, You need to speak to a realtor who can help you sift through the available listings so you can reach your goal and find a property that is reasonably priced.

Sellers - at this point your most important issue is pricing your property right if you want to sell - You need a realtor who will work with you to find that right price and then market your property so potential buyers will know how great your property is.

ZIP Code: 33037

Approximate Location Boundaries: MM 113 to MM 91

Location Characteristics: The Gateway to the Keys!!

Key Largo is the home of Pennekamp State Park known for its wonderful coral reefs.
You can scuba dive, snorkel, go for a sail or power boat ride.

The Everglades is a short boat ride for great back country fishing.

Lots of Condos to buy for that 2nd home and/or investment.

Restaurants galore and great hotels! Key Largo is a popular primary residence or weekend getaway for those who want to be close to Miami but still have the casual atmosphere and fabulous weather of the Keys.

Everything you want an hour from Miami International Airport
For More Information:

Visit www.miguelsoria.com

The top cities for home buyers

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 20:33:49 -0500

A glut of homes for sale makes this a great time to be a buyer in Tampa and other markets. Here's what some of these markets look like.

If you're searching for property in Tampa, luck is on your side. Too many listed homes and not enough buyers means you've got the upper hand.

Want all-new appliances or $20,000 knocked off the asking price before you sign? Chances are, sellers in Tampa will be willing to comply.

The same can be said for Minneapolis, Miami and Kansas City, Mo. All three, like Tampa, currently favor buyers, thanks to an overabundance of supply and low sales rates.

The easiest way to judge our list is to examine the area's housing supply vs. demand. A good measurement? Take the current rate of sales and figure out how long it would take to burn off the excess inventory at that rate.

If that measure is low, houses are selling quickly. If it's high, houses are waiting on the market and prices can often be bargained down.

To determine which of the country's real-estate markets most benefit buyers, we looked at data from Moody's Economy.com and the National Association of Realtors. We tracked excess inventory and the change in sales rate over the past year to gauge the relative tightening or loosening of the market. Then a measure of price stability was applied to prevent the list from being a rundown of sinking ships.

The findings

What resulted were rankings that measure current housing markets relative to a completely in-balance market.

New York's No. 9 spot doesn't mean you can expect to pick up a Fifth Avenue apartment at a rock-bottom price.

It means that based on the expansion of Gotham's housing stock, especially in the outlying metro area, there are a disproportionately high number of sellers for buyers. As a result, properties are staying on the market longer. Prices then often drop. New York housing is never cheap. But at present, buyers have more bargaining power than sellers.

This is especially evident in Tampa. Of American cities with populations of 500,000 or more, it is the best market for buyers. Florida generally has been going through a vast market correction thanks to overbuilding as well as shifting insurance underwriting and lending conditions. Miami finished third. If Sarasota, Palm Bay, Tallahassee or Pensacola had larger populations, they all would have made the top 10.

While the Tampa market has yet to bottom out, the silver lining for buyers is that it is a highly resilient market. Most of the fallout in Tampa can be attributed to its high share of properties owned by investors. That's correctable given the city's good economic and job-growth projections.

Chicago, at No. 5, has also felt the effects of a housing supply growing faster than demand. Brokers there say 2007 has been a slow year, and Moody's data support that. Chicago ranked seventh worst for listings outpacing sales and fifth worst for the tightening rate of the market.

Milwaukee came in eighth due to moderate scores in sales-to-listings ratio. The city does, after all, have an extremely low vacancy rate of 1.1%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Milwaukee market's future doesn't look quite as rosy, though. Its lack of an inventory has Moody's projecting a price trough for the city in the third quarter of 2008, but, based on local economic and job creation problems, that recovery is only expected to be 0.4% -- an "L-shaped" recovery that may not rejuvenate the market.

For the overall state of the housing market, it is extremely important to see how much inventory these buyer's markets can burn off between now and October, when the market typically slows down. If sales don't pick up and work out inventory issues, expect to see significant price declines.

The top cities for home buyers:

Article provide By Matt Woolsey, Forbes.com

Villa Magna goes down!

MIGUEL SORIA (EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:27:52 -0500

Development
Hollo takes on partners, swaps hotel rooms for fewer condos
July 20, 2007 By: Oscar Pedro Musibay
Rendering of Villa Magna

Tibor Hollo’s Villa Magna condo project on Miami’s Brickell Avenue waterfront is on the real estate downturn diet.
His plan has been switched from two 56-story condo towers that were to have a total of 780 units to a 66-story tower with 326 condos plus 198 hotel suites, an ice rink and a dinner theater.
Hollo also has new Spanish partners, led by Jose Pedro Iglesias Moure and including Jose Angel Goxencia Roques and Juan Bartolome Segui Gamundi. They have the 2.5-acre Villa Magna site at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive under contract for an undisclosed amount.
A source said the sale is expected to close soon. Sources said Hollo might be bought out, but his name is on new city plans for the site.
The same group bought an acre diagonally across the street at 1390 Brickell Bay Drive for $35 million in January. Both parcels are vacant.
Architect Bernard Zyscovich, who designed the original Villa Magna and is involved in the new plan, said the project is undergoing a “complete redesign” and will drop the Villa Magna name.
Hollo has submitted new designs to the city for the Villa Magna site. He did not return calls seeking comment before deadline.
Zyscovich confirmed the 1201 property is under contract but would not disclose the price.
Plans for the other parcel now call for a 57-story tower with offices and condos.
Hollo’s Florida East Coast Realty and the New York investment company Coalco were behind Magna, which was to break ground last spring with units priced from $800,000 to $3 million. Deposits are being returned.
Zyscovich and the Spanish architectural firm Segui + Partners are listed on new plans filed with the city. Segui Gamundi is one of the partners in the purchasing group and part of the architectural firm.
The rink and theater plans are a response to growing demand by neighborhood residents for after hours entertainment, Zyscovich said.
Hollo, a fixture in Miami real estate for 55 years, is never short of ideas. He claims credit for building the first high-rise on Brickell Avenue, and his company developed the 630-unit Opera Tower north of downtown Miami and is planning the 70-story Bayfront Plaza office tower in downtown Miami.

For video of Villa Magna site, click here
Craig Studnicky, a principal of condo brokerage International Sales Group, said Hollo’s change of plans is consistent with the overall market because every residential or mixed-use developer not already out of the ground is considering a redesign or cancellation because of Miami’s condo glut. He also said lenders today are more likely to back developers building hotels and office than residential.
Stephen Nostrand, executive vice president of Colliers Abood Wood-Fay, said Hollo is wise to bring in a partner to spread the risk.
“If I were Hollo’s organization, it makes so much sense because it’s mitigating the risk,” said Nostrand, who is also treasurer of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association.
Although he wasn’t familiar with the deal, he speculated the new partnership could have the new player provide equity as well as develop and run the hotel portion of the project.
But he cautioned hotels, the latest hot vehicle, also could saturate the market if planned projects all come to fruition.
There are hotels planned at Metropolitan Miami, Epic, 700 Biscayne Blvd. and two on Watson Island. Related Group has a hotel planned as part of its Icon Brickell project.
Nostrand said the response to hotels in Miami’s Brickell financial district has been strong so adding rooms should work, but a detailed analysis is necessary to determine demand to avoid the same fate as the low-occupancy condo market.
Niesen Kasdin, former chairman of the Beacon Council and a member of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority board, said hotel demand is growing, but he shares Nostrand’s concerns about market saturation, specifically in the luxury end occupied by the likes of the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons. He said the best bet for new hotel product may be to focus on less pricey ideas.
“I question the depths of the luxury hotel market to grow and add more product,” Kasdin said.
Oscar Pedro Musibay can be reached at omusibay@alm.com or at (305) 347-6651.