Dr. Blaine "Doc" Ellingson's (docellingson) Blog

Never Know Where Your Help is Coming From

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:06:09 -0800

A favorite saying and belief from my first Real Estate Instructor and Mentor! Another Sunday Open House from 12:00-4:00, 12:00- (not much happening), 3:55 pm, 7 young people show from Slovenia, and engage in a 1/2 hour great relationship building conversation! One of them was identified later in as a real estate broker looking for opportunities for his European clients! 4:30 pm a major player arives and may write an offer tomorrow on this ocean front home! Never know when or where your help is coming from!

Happiest States, are You SAD, Move to Florida!

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:59:20 -0800

During the years of private practice I witnessed the effects of many with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sometimes referred to as "winter depression or the winter blues"! During my 8+ years of living in Florida I have become acutely aware of "psychological benefits" of waking each morning to (almost always) sunshine! Today the Associated Press released a report by Randolph E. Schmid that was titled Sunshine and Open Spaces Equal Happiness. According to the recent edition of Science magazine, " people who live in warm, sunny states where the living is easy are HAPPIER than people who live where the weather, prices, air quality, and congestion are not so agreeable, according to comparison of statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What are the Happiest States: Louisiana Hawaii Florida Tennessee Arizona... California was rated #46 and New York came in Last as # 50!

International your Market with International Designations/Buyers Part III.

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:15:31 -0800

In determining where a real estate professional should consider marketing and expanding their international presence the following NAR research will be useful. The following Table shows the Prefered Destination (STATE) of Foreign Property Purchases, by Buyer's Region (Continent) of origin: North American Buyer's (Canada, Mexico) Preferred State for Real Estate Purchase: Florida Arizona Texas European Buyer's Preferred State for Real Estate Purchase: Florida New York Asian Buyer's Preferred State for Real Estate Purchase: California Florida Washington Latin American Buyer's Preferred State for Real Estate Purchase: Florida Texas

Increasing your Market Share with International Designations/Buyers Part II.

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:12:01 -0800

So where do International Buyers come from? Accoriding to the NAR statistics the Top Six Countries of Origin of International Clients: Canada 23.6% United Kingdom 2.5 Mexico 8.7% China 7.5% India 6% Germany 4.5% The weak dollar and falling US real estate prices has made US real estate a baragain for many international clients, despite the world wide economic decline many buyers now see the US as a GREAT BUYING opportunity.

Increasing your Market Share with International Designations/Buyers part I.

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:48 -0800

The median incomes of CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) is substantially greater than non-CIPS Realtor's. The 4th quarter issue of the Global Perspectives in Real Estate, reveals: the foreign Buyer paid more for a U.S. home than a domestic Buyer! Median price paid by foreign was ($247,100) vs ($198,100) for domestic Buyers (in latest, 2008 statistics). Buyers from India paid most for their U.S. property ($322,000), and from the UK and China paying a median of $275,000, UK purchasers were more likely than other international Buyers to pay more than 1 million! International prospecting is not easy, like most of the profitable things in life however, the benefits can be rewarding both personally and financially.

The Next NEW Buyer's Wave!

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:44:35 -0800

Despite all the gloom and doom surroundingthe present real estate market and national/world economy is there any good that is NEW NEWS! In the Global Perspectives in Real Estates, 3rd Quarter of 2009 Dr. Lawrence Yun (Chief Economist for NAR) describes the Next Middle Class arrising from the "BRIC Countries" (Brazil, Russia, India, China)! Dr. Yun notes that population of these countries is 10 TIMES larger that ALL of the United States and economic growth is forecasted to be much faster in the BRIC countries than the Unites States or any of the other industrialized countries! He argues that a shift in just 1% of the population into the middle class would be equivalent to 30 MILLION NEW FAMILIES, with money to spend! If just 1% of this new middle class becomes "wealthy" this translates into 300,000-500,000 NEW WEALTHY and important players in the Real Estate Market! In my own south Florida market this could not be more evident than the substantial number of Russian Buyers that have made south Florida their Sub-Tropical Home! The town of Sunny Isles Beach, is know know as "Little Moscow" due to this new demographical change! One of my most recent sales was to a Russian national who was able to find a GREAT BUY in West Palm Beach!

Cetified International-Investments-Immigration Specialist

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:29:14 -0800

Those who have an intrest International Real Estate transactions and want to expand their marketing, should definitely consider the CIIIS (Certified International Investments Immigration Specialist) This two day class was one of the BEST educational experiences of my Real Estate career with information that I was able to use and incorporate immediately into my marketing and a wealth of general knowledge concerning real estate: Immigration, Bankruptcy, Pension plans, Probate/Estate, 1031, Capital Gains and depreciation strategies. Don Gonzalez, Esq. is a very knowlegable instructor who is easy to listen to and the two day intensive class, moves quickly! Highly Recommend this to any serious real estate professional! Dr. Blaine "Doc" Ellingson-Broker/Associate

Real Estate Professional's - Protector's of Freedom?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:17:56 -0800

"Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS® should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership". "Such interests impose obligations beyond those of ordinary commerce. They impose grave social responsibility and a patriotic duty to which REALTORS® should dedicate themselves, and for which they should be diligent in preparing themselves." Preamble of the Realtor's Code of Ethics-2009. How deep, and basic are the rights to own real property, and the freedoms that are interwoven with those rights and how the abuse of property rights by dictatorial regimes has led to untold death and suffering, most notably in the last century under the guise of socialism and communism. The United States of America, despite any of her misgivings has been the indisputable champion of individual liberty, personal freedom and prosperity, which has at its bed rock foundation, the right to own Real Property! As Real Estate Professional we have the obligation to speak out when those that oppose basic freedom. In the words of Edmund Burke, who wrote that " we do not often think of History being shaped by silence, but the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". Presently, in the United States Congress(majority party) and President we witness the continued assault on individual liberty, personal responsibility, with sweeping changes that could forever change or damage the character and fabric of our great nation! When an administration has the power to declare that the air (CO2) carbon dioxide, we exhale and which, all living plants need to survive and produce (O2) is a gas that can be regulated, what is next? Could GMC, Banking, and Health Care, institutions be next, NO, just a another right wing radical speaking out! It is LONG PAST time for largest professional organization in this country to be heard, to speak out and forget the political correctness that the LEFT uses in this country to subdue any opposition to their agenda! In the words of President Ronald Reagan, " You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this,last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness, If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all could be done" Speak out call, e-mail, write, be involved, do our "patriotic duty" and help protect the foundations of what has and will continue to keep our country the worlds best real, hope for freedom! Dr. Blaine "Doc" Ellingson - Broker/Associate, CIPS, CLHMS, CIIIS, TRC