"Cheetah" Currier- The Lady That Sells Real Estate - SW Florida

Timing The Market Can't Be Planned in Advance,

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:56:54 -0800

Timing the market can't be planned, it is something to be taken advantage of when it happens. Over the last several years the troubled state of the real estate market has been among the leading media news stories. This overload of negative and uncertain news regarding real estate in general has paralyzed most of the general public into a "Don't even think about buying or selling now, let's wait and see what happens" mindset. What many don't recognize is that the troubled market conditions that are making the news are also the conditions that are creating unprecedented opportunities to bring more people into homeownership. Low property values and Interest rates are making homes more affordable now than they have been in most of our lifetimes. Perfect timing for buyers is happening now. Right now every buyer has an unprecedented, golden opportunity to snap up homes and condos at prices that are well below market value. First time buyers who couldn't afford to buy during a normal market can now afford to own a home. Now is the correct time to talk with your lender to see if you are qualified to take advantage of the decline. You may be surprised to find that the circumstances have made buying a home a possibility. There are many homes that can be bought with a mortgage payment that is less than what you are currently paying for rent. Relocating buyers, Retirees and 2nd home or vacation property buyers have a wide selection of great properties at bargain basement prices. Why you should buy now and not wait with the crowd to see what happens. The worst phase of the market offers the best opportunities. Early buyers will be buying at the best time. The earliest buyers will have the widest selection of undervalued properties to choose from. The properties bought near the bottom of the decline are the ones that will gain the most appreciation over time. The choices will narrow down as more buyers recognize the opportuntieis and the better valued properties will be gone. If interest rates go up, fewer people will be qualified to buy. On Southwest Florida's tropical Gulf coast where I work as a real estate agent, some buyers and investors are recognizing the opportunity and we are already beginning to experience a slight increase in sales. For now it's just a trickle but I suspect that sales will gain momentum as more buyers recognize the opportunities.

Short Sale in Paradise - Burnt Store Marina, Punta Gorda, Florida

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:43:45 -0700

810 Islamorada Blvd, Punta Gorda Florida in the Gated Community of Burnt Store Marina Great Home In a very friendly and social Gated Community with Boating, Golf, Tennis and so much more! With an Open Floor Plan this lovely home welcomes in the Florida sunshine through three sets of sliding glass doors and many large windows. 2 Bedrooms 2 Baths 2 Car Garage 1,518 Suare feet under air. Large master bedroom, Large eat-in Kitchen, tile floors in living areas, Large Lanai with Hot Tub and so much more! This property is being sold as a Short Sale and the sale is contingent upon the approval of the seller's lender. The Gated Community of Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda Florida has the largest Deep Water Marina on the Gulf Coast of Florida as well as 18 Holes of Executive Golf, a Club House, Tennis courts, fitness center, activities and social events, restaurants and walking paths. Golf Cart Friendly, Pet Friendly and People Friendly! Burnt Store Marina offers direct deep water access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. There are many other properties available in Burnt Store Marina and other areas of Punta Gorda and Southwest Florida. Do your own search for waterfront homes with their own docks, Waterfront and off-water condos, villas and more. Or save time and contact me to do it for you. ****************************************** For a season or a lifetime there's no better place to call home than Southwest Florida F. "Cheetah" Currier, regional Southwest Florida, Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty

A History Lesson for Southwest Florida Home Sellers

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 01:46:34 -0700

How a Poor Sales History Can Affect Your Home Sale. If a house is on the market in Southwest Florida for a long time and the listing expires without a sale, and then gets re-listed several months or even a year later, this listing and re-listing information doesn't go away. The listing and sales history for every home listed for sale in the Multiple Listing System (MLS) stays in the MLS database and is available to all MLS Realtor® members. When a buyer's agent looks in the MLS for homes to show their buyers, they will look up the Listing and sales history for the homes they choose to show. Homes that have been listed for sale several times without selling are a red flag to the buyer's agent. The agent will ask themselves the following questions to decide whether or not to show this home to their buyers: If this owner couldn't sell the home, will that mean that future owners will have the same problem when the time comes for them to move? Are there major condition issues such as roof, foundation, lack of maintenance, appearance..? If so, was it priced to compensate the buyers for those conditions? Are there location problems such as a busy street, bad views, commercial area nearby...? If so, was it priced to compensate the buyers for those conditions? Was the house overpriced against comparable properties? Was the price reduced during the listing period? If so, how many times was it reduced? Did the reduction bring it above or below the price of comparable properties? If the house is overpriced does this mean the seller has unreasonable expectations? Will this seller be difficult to deal with when it comes to offers and negotiations? Has the seller made the home available to buyers? Is it available to show on short notice? Can I get an appointment today to show this home? If the price was right and the condition and location were good, and the home is available to show, what else was wrong? Was it simply not marketed well by the listing agent? If the buyer's agent determines that the property is worth showing their buyers, they now look at this house as a possible buyer opportunity. From experience they know that this seller is either desperate to sell or completely unmotivated and unreasonable. They'll show the home to their buyer, and if their buyer likes the house, they will make a low offer based on both the house and it's sales history. They will also have back-up properties in line just in case the seller is unreasonable and not willing to negotiate. This history lesson is to make sellers of property in Southwest Florida aware of the importance of your home's listing history. The decisions you make when you list your home can affect the outcome of your sale. If your goal is to achieve a successful sale, do everything you can to position your home to sell. It might mean being inconvenienced and having to keep your home ready to show at a moment's notice. You might have to spend some time and money on repairs, and you may have to list at a price that is less than what you initially wanted. Listen to the advice of your listing agent, don't take the risk of having your listings expire without a sale, or expire again, if it didn't sell the first time. Each time your home listing expires The sales history gets longer and your subsequent listing price will have to be lower. For a season or a lifetime.... there's no better place to call home than Southwest Florida. This post was written by Frances "Cheetah" Currier of Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty. Real Estate as it should be done, Online and in Person...Quality Services in the coastal communities of Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Pine Island, North Fort Myers, Estero, North Port, Cape Haze, Placida, Englewood and all other areas of Charlotte County, Lee County and South Sarasota County.

INSIDE OUT LIVING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:06:41 -0700

It's Saturday in early October. The tempature is in the upper 70's and my home is open wide! This morning was a glorious day so opened up our home first thing this morning as the sun was just getting started. Our pool pool faces east so we get to welcome the sun every morning. This is a picture looking from my pool deck into my home. Opening up will be my routine, opening up when we are at home, as long as the weather is nice, which will be most days from now until next spring! Yesterday was the inagural opening, the first time since early last June when the rainy season began. We have large wall of sliding glass doors that open from our great room to our pool deck so when we open up we have create a living space with both inside and outside areas. What a joy, no air-condition, no heat, just fresh air and sunshine spilling into the house right from the Gulf of Mexico. It was delightful, we only closed up when we leave home or it's time for bed. Welcome to the start of our "Season", we only have two here in Southwest Florida, The Rainy Season and "The Season" which is what makes living in Southwest Florida is so enticing, 8 months of Glorious weather, abundant sunshine, fresh air and pristine Gulf Waters. Here is the view looking from inside out. Look No Walls! No Windows! Just open and wonderful.

Burnt Store Marina Residents Save golf course

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:55:28 -0700

All was not well in Paradise. Burnt Store Marina is the crown jewel of the Burnt Store corridor. This beautiful gated community contains the largest deep water marina in Southwest Florida, a waterside restaurant, a 27 hole executive golf course, a fitness center, tennis courts, walking and biking trails and more. Its residents enjoy a quality of life that is hard to find anywhere else. The community had successfully recovered from the spate of Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 but it looked unlikely that it would be able to overcome the even greater devistation in 2006 when their beloved 27 hole executive golf course was unexpectedly closed. The owner of the Amenities had decided to close the 27 hole executive golf course at Burnt Store Marina without notice. There were several parcels that made the course attractive for development and the owner of the amenities hadn't been running the course with the thought of making it a going business. The costs were kept high to discourage play so that there would be the appearance that the golf club was not supported by the residents which in turn would provide an argument for re-zoning the golf course for residential use. A challenge to the development plan by the residents created a running feud with the owner of the amenities and the future of the golf course at Burnt Store Marina looked bleak at best. When the rezoning was unsuccessful, the Master Association approached the owner of the amenities with a plan to lease the golf course for 5 years. The lease would be contingent on the residents voting to support a yearly assessment. The subsequent vote ended with the residents supporting the assessment and the golf course re-opened under the management of the Master Association. The residents began to use the club with renewed excitement. However that excitement was not to last. A small group of residents began a series of law suits questioning the legality of the assessments which resulted in over a year of litigation, court cost and legal fees; again the golf course was at risk of closure. Enter in a group of determined and concerned residents who came up with a plan to form a not-for-profit entity that would run the golf course and use the club house as an activities center. There would be no assessments. Membership to the Golf Club would be voluntary and limited to only those who joined the "activity center". To join, a member would have to agree to pay a one time initiation fee and yearly dues. Only Activity Center members would be eligible to join the golf course as a member. Activity Center members would also get discounts in the pro-shop and in the club house restaurant. The new corporation would rent the facilities from the owner under a lease that was similar to the one the Master Association had negotiated. The only block to the plan was getting enough members to agree to join in advance to make the plan work. With a very short deadline to get this done, the new committee reached out to the local residents and within a very few months had enough commitments to save the golf club! Thank you everyone, the golf course has been saved. In fact, after only a few months, the activity center and golf course are being well used. Activities are being planned monthly for the club house and the course is in great shape. The biggest benefit to this whole situation is the added sense of community that resulted from everyone getting together to save the course.

Why Are You Waiting For The Bottom? The Time to Buy is Now

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:43:36 -0700

If you are a buyer, now is absolutely the best the time to be in the market. It is a buyers market in almost all areas of the country but interestingly enough most buyers are waiting, they're not buying! Please don't wait for the media to tell you that the market has reached the bottom. If you do, you'll be six months too late because that is the amount of time it takes for the statistics to show the beginning of a recovery. It is impossible to time the bottom, those that buy at the bottome won't know it until it is passed and they will have achieved that accomplishment as a matter of luck. But the real question is why in the world are you waiting for the bottom anyway? Imagine you are playing ball with a few other people and suddenly the ball gets loose and everyone on the sidelines jumps in and starts to scramble for the ball. What happens? Most people will instinctively watch the ball and then focus on where they think the ball will land and try to catch it as it bounces back up. The problem is determining what direction the ball will bounce and how high it will go before you can get your hands on it. The smarter ball handlers will keep their eye on the ball, not on where they think it will bounce, they know if they can intercept the ball before it bounces they'll keep the others from getting it by getting to the ball first. It's the one who try to catch the ball on the way down that has a better chance of getting the ball than the person who is waiting for it to bounce. Now think of the best real estate deal as as a ball and the bottom of the market as the floor. The people who are focused on the floor will be waiting for the ball to bounce and will try to catch it quickly on the way back up. The savvy buyer will grab the deal before it hits the floor, taking the opportunity for himself and keeping it from those who were waiting for the deal to hit the bottom. Now to understand why you get the best deals before the market hits bottom. It's all about seller motivation. When the market has been depressed for sellers as long as this one has, sellers have become acclimated to the fact that it will be hard to sell at any price. They have experienced the pain of the declining market and have developed a mindset that the market is bad. Since they haven't gotten the news yet that the market is recovering, they still maintain the fear that things may continue to get worse. Buyers who live in fear of a declining market are more motivated to negotiate and accept lower offers. If you wait for the news that the market is beginning to recover, then you'll be jumping into a rebounding market along with all the other buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines. Sellers will also get the news and will begin to have hope that their home will sell for a better price and therefore be less motivated to accept lower offers. As hundreds and hundreds of buyers jump into the market, (the buyers who, like you, have been waiting for the bottom) the recover will accelerate even more. You will have missed the mark, prices will start to stabilize, the best deals will get multiple offers and sell above list price and thus the market will slowly begin to gain a small increase in value. Oh, yes, don't forget to add into the mix the fact that interest rates are still at historic lows but will probably not stay there for long. The Federal Government is already showing signs of increasing interest rates due to the threat of inflation caused by higher fuel costs. Talk to some lenders, they will show you the figures; a home that sells for $100,000 with a 6% mortgage will have a lower monthly payment than the home that sells for $95,000 with a 8% mortgage. If you're thinking of buying, don't wait, the time to buy is now. I would love you to be one of the few homeowners who takes my advice and looks back four years from now and is amazed by the incredible deal you got on you home back in the summer of 2008! In the coastal areas of Southwest Florida we have some of the best buying opportunities in Florida's history and savvy buyers are beginning to take advantage of some tremendous values. If you're waiting, don't. Call me for a list of some great property values.

Saving Time – How important are your days?

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:48:26 -0800

How many of us use each of our days wisely? I know I don't. Oh, I do have an occasional day that I planned and used wisely but many, in fact, most of my days are random happenings, un-directed, un-thought-about, un-planned, sometimes un-noticed and often un-remembered. It's funny how something you read can suddenly make you think about making serious changes in your life. Today I read a quote that I'm sure will change the way I do business. I am suddenly looking at my life in terms of how I spend each day. The quote that started me thinking is attributed to Hugh Mulligan who was a correspondent with the associated press. "What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.""Wow" I said to myself; "when looked at from this point of view how I choose to spend my days are indeed important. What I do on any particular day should be important enough to give it a day of my life."So I looked at how I am spending my days:The days I spend marketing homes, showing homes and helping people are days well spent. One of those was the day I helped a widow who was in dire straights sell her home so she could move and be closer to her daughter, that day and the days spent marketing the home were well spent.The days I spend with family and friends enjoying life in Sunny Southwest Florida are days well spent.The days I spend just relaxing around the house doing little chores, watching TV, are days well spent because I need days to relax.The day I spent last week going to the office for a class then stayed to talk and putter about was only partly well spent, I can't even remember what I did after that.And of course the day's I don't remember at all....?Reading that quote finally convinced me that I do need to manage my time better. Even though I have been told over and over again in every business planning session that I have ever attended that time management or time blocking is the best way to succeed, for some reason I have resisted fully embracing the concept. Perhaps it is my adult onset ADD that craves flexibility. Perhaps it is a resistance to being controlled even if the control is imposed by me. However, after reading that quote, I have become determined to make my work days important enough to count. Embracing time management is the only way I can think of to make sure that happens. Is it fate or coincidence that I found this quote right now, when next years business planning is in full swing? It made me remember the old saying "when the student is ready the teacher will appear". Now instead of just putting numbers together for my business plan I am incorporating (and this time will stick to it) how I will use my days to make those numbers happen. This year I will try to make each work day important enough to spend a day of my life doing it! This quote is my gift to you, as food for thought or not, it's up to you to decide.

Buying homes in Gated Communities

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:50:18 -0700

Why are gated communities so popular, especially in Southwest Florida? Gated communities provide a lifestyle all their own. But which community is right for you? Finding the right gated community in Southwest Florida is like buying a new pair of shoes. You must be comfortable with the fit or you won't be happy. In Southwest Florida you'll find gated communities available to all walks of life from working class to wealthy and they offer a multitude of lifestyles and housing choices so finding the right fit can be a challenge. Gated communities are attractive to people who are buying a second home or are buying a home for future retirement because of the added security, the low or no maintenance requirements, and for the activities and amenities they provide. People feel more confident about having a part time home that they can "lock and leave" for months at a time if they know it is tucked inside a securely gated community. There is a wonderful sense of community inside gates. Everyone feel a sense of ownership to the whol community because they 'belong". To many, living in a gated community represents a way of reconnecting with their past, a return to small town values, a feeling of belonging, of knowing who your neighbors are. These are often feeling that were greatly missed during careers that required living in busy suburban and city environments. The gated community provides an environment where it is easy to make new and lasting friendships. When people consider where to buy they are attracted to the gated communities that offer the lifestyles and activities that interest them most. They discover that other residents chose that community for the same reasons. This simple factor assures that new residents have an almost immediate connection into the social fabric of the community, making friends right away as they have so much in common with their neighbors.Gated communities have been a long established type of housing in Southwest Florida and you will find them in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and surrounding areas along Florida's tropical Gulf coast. Buyers find they have many options there are brand new developments and well established, well respeced older communities. Housing choices range from modest to magnificent. From Luxury estates to single family homes, coach homes, villas and condos. Activities and amenities range from nothing or a single community pool, to communities with every single resort amenity you could want. Common amenities and activities found in Southwest Florida's gated communities are: clubhouses, pools & spas, tennis courts, fitness centers, playgrounds, picnic areas, community docks and fishing piers, golf courses, putting greens, saunas, billiards, card rooms, planned activities, clubs, social groups and much more. Almost anyone can afford to live in a gated community in Southwest Florida as there are options within every price range. You can find manufactured homes in gated communities along with friendly neighbors that enjoy the many planned activities for under $100,000. You can buy homes and condos in small residential gated communities that are priced between $150,000 and $200,000. There are gated communities restricted to active adults who are 55 years old and older in many price ranges. We have a wide selection of gated golf communities with courses for all levels of play. We have boating, waterfront and marina communities such as Cape Harbor. Among our most desirable and most popular are the handfull of communities that offer both boating and golf. These include the world class resort communities of Burnt Store Marina, Gulf Harbor, and Riverwood. No matter the size, the cost of living or the type of homes, gated communities all have one thing in common: They are communities where people enjoy living life comfortably among people who have like values and interests. How secure are gated communities? That depends on the community. They come in various levels of secure access depending on how the community is managed. Some communities have open gates during daylight hours and only close the gates at night. Others require a code or remote control to gain access with a phone system that allows residents to remotely give access to guest or service providers. Some communities have very high levels of security with 24 hour security guards stationed at the gates and security patrolling within the gates. If security is a primary factor make sure to ask questions about the level of security being offered in the communities you are considering.Just the fact that the community is gated will often deter unauthorized people from entering even if the gates are open. Most people who don't belong feel like they are intruding if they drive inside uninvited. Many gated communities don't allow solicitors so residents don't get people knocking on their doors to sell things and most gated communities have limited access points so you don't have drive through traffic. Homes in gated communities tend to have a better resale value because of the covenants that require homes to be maintained to certain standards. When a community shows pride in ownership it shows and it gives the whole community a good attractive overall appearance. As wonderful as they are, living in a gated environment is not for everyone. Gated communities are not a great fit for nonconformist and independent free spirits. People with these personality styles usually aren't happy with deed restrictions, government by committee and other confining factors found in the social make up of most gated communities.

Are Your Listings Competing Against Short Sales and Foreclosures?

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:24:49 -0700

Competing against Short Sales and ForeclosuresSome areas, such as the one I work in Southwest Florida show no signs of stabilization for now or the near future. The plethora of short sales and foreclosures are beginning to set new market values as they close with lower than market sale prices. How things have changed! Not too long ago we would throw out the occasional distress sales because they would skew our CMA figures. Now we can't afford to do that, there are so many that they are the market; that is where the few buyers we have are going because they offer the best value for the money. Distress properties are no longer the run-down, financially and personally abused, hard to sell homes. They are often brand new investor built spec homes, pre-construction purchased condos, and homes where owners took equity while prices were high. They are nice family resales and often they are never lived in properties.If you are working re-sales in a market that is heavy in pre-foreclosure and foreclosure properties you must consider these sales when setting listing prices. To do otherwise will most likely result in time and money spent on marketing a home that is over priced and won't sell. By ignoring these sales you will also be doing your sellers a disservice. Even though sellers won't like the numbers it is what must be done if the property is to attract buyers and sell. If you have sellers that must sell because they can't afford to keep their homes or because they are upside down on their mortgage then you might have to get up to speed on how to help them through the short sale process or they may well loose their homes to foreclosure. Remember you are in business to help your customers not simply to get listings.

BEWARE THE DEAD CAT BOUNCE

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:14:58 -0700

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HOUSING MARKET RECOVERY...?BEWARE THE DEAD CAT BOUNCE! I borrowed this financial market saying because it so aptly fits what I foresee for our current housing slump; a brief rally in buying activity followed by a continued decline.The Dead Cat Bounce describes a temporary rally that gives a false sense of improvement but does not indicate improving circumstances. After the brief rally the market continues to decline. The term was coined from the saying that Even a dead cat, if dropped from a great height, will bounce a little but that doesn't mean the cat has been resurrected. It's still a dead cat.So why do I foresee a Dead Cat Bounce? I must admit that this is not from any statistical figures or market forecast; it's simply an intuitive assumption based on observations on my part. As a real estate agent in Southwest Florida I talk to home owners every day who want to sell their homes but they don't want to sell under our current market conditions. These potential home sellers are watching the market closely. They want to sell and they are waiting for any sign that the market is improving. Right now, nationwide, we have the highest inventory of homes listed for sale ever! Sales in many markets are practically at a stand still. The home owners who are waiting to list their homes don't understand the dynamics of our market; that inventory levels set buyer urgency. With lots of inventory there is no urgency, the home will still be there next month or one just like will be there. With low inventory there is high urgency, buy today or the home you want may be gone tomorrow.The homeowners who are waiting to list aren't keeping tabs on the inventory; they're keeping tabs on the number of sales. They are waiting for the number of sales to increase, a sign that buyers are buying again. They are looking for activity and they are poised and ready to jump into the market. They are eager to move on and are tired of waiting. When a buying rally comes, and come it will, these home owners will see the activity and will jump into the market. This will create a minor flood of newly listed homes to add to an already overburdened inventory! So what I think will happen is that The Dead Cat Will Bounce a few inches before it settles down to lie flat and still on the sidewalk! Our market will be right back where it was with a higher than every inventory. In fact I will be surprised if we don't see several Dead Cats Bounce before the market truly starts to recover.

Pricing and Inventory In A Declining Market

F. "Cheetah" Currier (Keller Williams Peace River Partners Realty) — Fri, 18 May 2007 00:37:34 -0700

Tip for listing in tough marketsDo you fully educate sellers to help them understand how declining markets work? In order to educate your sellers you must fully understand the dynamics yourself. When a potential home seller balks at your recommended price do you immediately cave in and agree to list higher or do you hold firm knowing that you may have to walk away if the seller doesn't want to list at a realistic price?Many listing agents in our struggling markets are focused on one thing, getting the listing. They are so concerned with getting the listing that they set the sale up for failure from the beginning. When a listing agent lacks the courage to bring the seller to a correct price for the market, they fail the seller, the fail themselves and most importantly the fail the market.Every overpriced listing compounds the decline in the overal markeplace by adding yet another home that won't sell to an already overburdened inventory. As the inventory grows, pressure to reduce price grows. When a listing stays on the market withou a sale, the seller is encouraged to reduce their price. However, again the seller is not fully educated about the continued decline and the reduction is inadequate. This pattern follows a series of "stair step" inadequate reductions until the listing expires.When working with sellers, taking an overpriced listing is expensive in terms of time, energy and cost. Factoring in your time spent servicing the listing, the marketing dollars spent, the anxiety over dealing with a unhappy seller and having conversations about reducing price only to have the listing expire is not what you are in business to do.The negative consequences of taking overpriced listings is that the seller has lost time, patience, equity and confidence. The listing agent is left without a sale, is out of pocket for expenses and has lost the goodwill of not only the seller but everyone that seller knows.If this sounds familiar then you probably have tried to sell without success. If you have a home listing that has expired go back to the CMA you presented to your seller. Do the same CMA for today's market, make a note of the difference. If you had educated the seller and had listed that home just below the market price at that time, it is more than likely that that home would have sold.Price rules in this market. Price is king and everything else including conditon, amentities and appeal are only secondary factors. It is crucial when doing a CMA that you consider that SOLDS went pending 4 to 8 weeks before they closed. During that 4 to 8 weeks the market continued to decline. Using SOLDS without factoring in the decline will make your listing overpriced from the day it is listed! In my Southwest Florida market it is like the wild west when you look at active comparables. Prices are all over the place from ridiculously high to absurdly low distress sales and there are hundreds in every category. More than every you must examine the competing homes before you set price. Look at the lowest priced competing homes first then compare them to your listing. If they are as good or better you will need to show these homes to your seller.Remember in every market it is the best priced homes in the best conditon with the best features that sell!