Way back in 1997, I started like many realtors investing in and flipping my own properties. After 6 years of making a broker a lot of commissions, I decided it was time to join the fray and jump in full force.
So I got my license in 2003 and really turned up the heat then flipping over 3 million dollars in 2004, but then something started to happen. People started hearing and seeing my name everywhere in West Palm Beach and Port St Lucie, and they started calling me to do the same for them. Investors started calling and referrals started calling and I became known as the Realtor to go to for vacant land in Port St Lucie and West Palm Beach Acreage.
Suddenly in 2004, I found myself moving to Port St Lucie to be in the heart of the action and had builders calling me everyday 7 days per week because they knew it only took me a few minutes to interview the client, find out the size of the home selected and know immediately the perfect lot for them. We would meet at the builder, go out, look at no more than 3 lots and be back in an hour with a contract for their perfect lot to go with the home already selected.
In 2004 and 2005, I peaked at 187 sales per year, and made more money than ever before in my life.
However, during this time, I also saw prices rise from $1500 per 1/4 acre lot to over $125,000 per lot.
And I was personally responsible for driving the prices up as I was always known to make my investors small fortunes and had appraisers calling me to find out what new sales levels I had set before they even closed so they could use my sales for comparables.
But alas what goes up must come down and down it did come crashing like the Hindenburg in Port St Lucie in 2006.
Luckily or skillfully however, I had already flipped my personal home of only 2 years and took my great tidings and moved back to Orlando at the INSISTENCE of my now ex wife because she "hated the small town" of Port St Lucie over Orlando.
But you know, Just like in Footloose, Kevin Bacon found himself a fish out of water in his new town and I just felt so comfortable being a HUGE SHARK in the little pond of Port St Lucie compared to being a little fish in the BIG POND of Orlando.
So after we could not agree on the fact that I just wanted to provide for my family in the biggest way possible and move back to Port St Lucie, we came to an understanding and she stayed in Orlando and I moved back to Port St Lucie in 2009 and restarted again trying to reestablish myself once again.
But as we all know, in 2009, there was but 1 type of real estate that was a successful niche and that was Short Sales of homes and for a vacant lot specialist, that was not something I had done as yet. So what did I do? I joined Keller Williams and took the teachings of the Great Gary Keller and SHIFTED my entire career and adapted to a whole new direction.
I started taking every class that Keller Williams had to offer on Short Sales and my CDPE and my GRI and suddenly this vacant land specialist was selling residential homes and listing like a maniac as I got a whole new reputation as a SHORT SALE SPECIALIST that not only understood the process, but self negotiated, and mastered the process.
After 3 years of 100% short sale closings and never costing my sellers a deficiency or promissary note, this week, I got the ultimate reward...
It has been 6 long years, but what I became famous for in Real Estate in Port St Lucie is back...
I have listed and sold 7 lots this month and have now done 2 new construction deals this week. And I am working a commercial deal for a new builder to purchase them 100 lots for new construction that I will be representing.
So as Kevin Bacon said in Footloose from 1983 as he stood before the town council, "Ecclesiastes assures us... that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh... and a time to weep. A time to mourn... and there is a time to dance."
Yes, folks, WE ARE SO BACK IN Port St Lucie as the 2nd hottest real estate market in the US and it is "OUR TIME TO DANCE."
Footloose from 1983, was by far my favorite movie of all times and I think it is because I have always been able to relate to it. When God gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When the real estate market changes, you SHIFT your focus and learn to survive. And when you finally find your comfort zone and your niche and your personal happiness, it is TIME TO DANCE. And this is OUR TIME TO DANCE once again in Port St Lucie.
And it has been 6 long years until our resale prices have now risen to the level that builders can once again compete against all the distressed homes, but this week I have broken the ice and sold my first new construction in 6 years and am now working on a commercial deal to purchase 100 lots for a new builder.
So Roger, I think FOOTLOOSE Might just fit, as it is OUR TIME TO DANCE once again in Port St Lucie.
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