Renters: Be careful when dealing with landlords.Unscrupulous landlords refuse to admit their facing Foreclosure.

There`s a new breed of Scam Artists out there. This time it Landlords who are facing Foreclosure and refuse to disclose the information to an unsuspecting tenant.

Many of these unscrupulous Landlords believe their in the right to pocket whatever cash they can before the "Banks Take Possession" of their home.

The tenants in the meantime must scramble to locate a new home,many times forfeiting their security deposits as well.
The Florida Landlord Tenant Law offers little consolation to these unsuspecting people.
They can go to small claims and sue the landlord,but in the meantime, many are faced with a harsh reality they must vacate the home within 5 days after receiving Foreclosure notice.

The banks don`t care, it`s not their problem as the home goes on sale at the court house steps!

Some Realtors in our area place these homes on the MLS not quite understanding what they`re doing,or maybe not really caring.

Realtors should pay more attention,but they don`t.They believe their helping the landlords.

Recently, we`ve begun to place clauses in our "Agreements to enter into a Lease" stating the "Landlord is current on all mortgage payments" and the "Home isn`t under Foreclosure or Short Sale",whether this holds up as legal and binding is quite another story.

The NAR should be addressing this issue,but so far they haven`t. neither has FAR or the local Real Estate Boards throughout Florida and the rest of the country!

We`re in swimming in "New Waters" as Real Estate Professionals.

This issues must be addressed when assisting potential tenants who are in dire need of a home for rent.

For additional information: Contact The Scott Daniels Real Estate Group @ 954-275-0200.

email:realestatefla1@yahoo.com

Infomercials are killing our industry! You can`t assign what you don`t own!

We`re experiencing a new type of investor who believes after attending a "Real Estate Seminar" they can write an "Options Contract" on a home they don`t own and assign it to someone else.

They take no responsibility if anything goes wrong,nor do they pretend to care. Why should they, it`s not taught at the "Workshop".

Many pay huge sums of money to attend these "Workshops".

It seems these seminars enjoy reinventing "Real Estate Laws".

The newbie investors want to go out and apply what they just learned.
After all, these infomercials show a home for $200,000 and than flash on the screen how the so called GURU bought the home with "NO MONEY DOWN".

We received an offer last night on a listing we have in Hollywood, Florida .

The offer to "Lease Options" our clients home.

It wouldn`t be much of an issue if the person who wants to do this actually lives in the home.
This person, in turn wants to "Lease a $400,000" home and assign it to someone else.
The liability issues are astounding. the person doing the lease option doesn`t seem to care, which is exactly the point of why doing a lease option is meaningless.
The seller still must pay the taxes,insurance and God forbid, if another person lives in the home and gets hurt the liability issues involved become a legal nightmare.

Many of these "Novice Investors" should stick to their "Day Jobs".

Working with people who look at a $400,000 home as not a big deal makes me wonder who the heck is teaching these seminars!

The Conversation is as follows:

Me: You want to "lease option" a $400K home and than assign it?

Mr. Lease Option: Yes, i can than try to locate a buyer and make a profit!

Me: Who takes the liability on the person you assign this $400,000 home to?

Mr. Lease Option: Ahh,humm, ow-ow I didn`t think of that. In our seminar we only discuss how we assign our option contract to someone else. It`s done all the time!
What do you care anyway as long as we close?!


Going to seminars are wonderful, providing you`re actually learning the right way of doing something.

Acting like you know what your doing with a person`s Real Property as if it`s a $2.00 item really irks me to no end!

Changing your strategy in a competitive market. What works and what doesn`t.

In South Florida it seems at least daily another Real Estate Office closes,due to lack of business.Many complain there are "No Buyers", walking in the doors! Still others whine they have no leads. They forget this business is all about "SELF PROMOTION".

In the old days ( 10 years ago) business was developed. You had to work for it,nothing was given to you and believe me, it was hard.Buyer`s didn`t just walk into your office as they once had,fueled by a feeding frenzy.

Fast Forward to today.
Yes, the Real Estate market is slow,it`s extremely hard,but guess what?! The same formula applies today as it did yesterday.How of then do you work the telephones or emails?
When`s the last time you actually tried to developer your own business,instead of waiting for someone to "hand you a lead"?
Locating business isn`t for everyone. Networking,Advertising,and visiting a FSBO, can enhance your presence.

Our business is the sum of all parts.

1- Sales- No matter what anyone tells you Real Estate is showmanship, the ability to sell and understand what you`re client is seeking counts. The amount of time you invest is crucial to "Growing a business" it doesn`t happen overnight it takes years!Many can`t wait,which is why they`re leaving now.

2- Follow Up: I work the telephones and emails 365 days a year. I blog, network, send emails, all day long from Sun Up to Sun Down.
Some days I`ll go through 30-50 potential clients to locate just 1 who needs our services today!The others we continue to remain in contact with in our "Pipeline" of business.Referrals are generated this way!

3- It`s not what you know,it`s who you know:If you`re in the business for a few years you begin to know the "Players". Go out there and Network with your fellow Realtors. If you do good by them,they`ll do good by you!

4- Returning a telephone call. Something this simple many just don`t relate too.
There`s a company out there who preaches you should answer a telephone like a Doctor does! They encourage you to treat your business as such. They advise you to return calls between 12-1 and 5-6. That`s all great if you`re a Doctor seeing patients in an office all day,but in our profession,you`re as good as your last call!

5- Re-programing yourself. I know Realtors who are only "Listing Agents or Buyers Agents",they`ll tell you the reasons why you should be as well. Don`t listen! If someone is calling you on the telephone to view a listing,are you seriously not going to let them view the property? What about if the potential client wants to view other homes in the area, are you going to tell them to call someone else,and explain "You`re only a LISTING AGENT"? This is a recipe for utter failure.


The Real Estate business changes every 6 months and so should you!
The business is out there, you just have to work harder for it!

Solicitors in India don`t even know what the "Do Not Call" rules are!

It`s a crying shame,we`re outsourcing our entire country to INDIA!Worse,they don`t adhere to the same rules that apply in our country.
They harass Americans each day with their insanity! Many can`t speak English and they seem to be reading off of 3x5 index cards.
Recently,I`ve received a rash of calls from a group of solicitors who keep identifying themselves as "Techies" from Spider India.They want to sell me their services,except1- It`s impossible to understand them.2- They seem to be using Tuna Fish Cans with strings attached to them as telephones.It`s not funny, as they keep identifying themselves as if I`m supposed to be impressed.Worse at .$10 cents an hour you would expect if they want to solicit they`d learn the English language,or at least attempt too.Apparently,our friends from India don`t have to worry about our laws. Maybe the DNC list doesn`t apply to foreign based companies.It should, and that`s a huge problem. NAFTA at it`s finest I guess.When you receive 15 calls a day for an entire week from the same freaking solicitors it`s deplorable.Sadly, we`re outsourcing our enter country and the world is benefiting from it,except now the JOKE is on us!We`ve allowed ourselves to sell our technology, our entrepreneurial spirit and the kitchen sink to these foreign countries who in turn,want to sell it back to the GOOD OLDE USA!God Bless America.We`ve taught these countries everything,they in turn want to re-teach what we`ve forgotten.By soliciting people inside this country and not properly speaking the language it`s becoming a problem.
It would be funny if it wasn`t sad.I can envision a play about this oneday from our friends on Broadway!"India Calling" would be a name! I can see it now.

At Florida List For Less Realty,Inc. we`ll market and sell your home using the latest technology!

We`ll market your home with the latest technology available.Marketing a home in today`s competitive Real Estate market is extremely important not to mention viable for the sale of your home.

At Florida List For Less Realty,Inc. we go through tremendous effort to market and sell your home in a timely manner insuring our clients receive the maximum amount of exposure.It`s imperative to have a Realtor who uses new and innovative marketing techniques rather than someone who is more intent just to place a sign in the yard and hold two "Open Houses", believing that`s all it takes to sell a home!Let`s face it.Selling a home was a lot different than it was 10 years ago.Today with the Internet many potential clients make decisions viewing homes on line.We receive inquiries each day requesting information from people from all over the world.Therefore, we decided 3 years ago to immerse our company into new technology to assist these individuals.

Whether it`s using a virtual tour, or video we believe a "Picture is worth a 1001 words".Many times we`ve received offers from buyer`s who have only viewed or videos and have sent offers.For additional information on how we can "market and sell your home" .

Please contact:The Scott Daniels Real Estate Group and Florida List For Less Realty,Inc.

tel: 954-275-0200

email:realestatefla1@yahoo.com.

web site:www.listfloridahomesforless.com.

We`ll market your home with the latest technology available.

Why do some people want to be Wanna Be Realtors?

I don`t know about you, whenever I have a client start pretending to be a lawyer I begin to wonder what the motivation to hire a "Professional" is all about.9 out of 10 times they want to "Pull a fast" one and that`s a real problem for me.

There are people out there who seem to be a "jack of all trades. No matter what you tell them,they know better!

Many are either frustrated attorney`s or wannabe Realtors.

In Real Estate there are rules as we all know! For example the "Listing Contracts" are made for a purpose, they can`t be changed.
Adding ridiculous "clauses or deleting" important parts of a contract make little or no sense.

It`s always been our opinion to walk away from clients who seem to "KNOW MORE THAN THOSE WHO DO THIS FOR A LIVING".

After all do you hire a Plumber to do your Taxes?Maybe Wesley Snipes,would!

I was at a listing yesterday where both the husband and wife wanted to rewrite our listing contract.
Both seemed determined to "Explain to me" how to do my job!
For the record I`ve been a licensed Realtor in the State of New York and Florida for 11 years. This is a "Full Time" job for me,one in which I work 6.5 days a week.
I would hope by now if you want to hire a "Professional" my credentials and experience should speak for themself.

I was in a very uncomfortable position last night watching this couple dissect our "Listing Contract".

The conversation is as follows:

Husband: OH! This should be scratched out as well.
Me: Sorry, in this county the all escrows are held by either an attorney or title company. You holding the escrow isn`t an option in our opinion.
Wife: This needs to be taken out as well.
Me: Inspections are placed on this contract for a reason. What you`re proposing is this buyers don`t perform an inspection on your home!
Husband: That`s not right! Our home is beautiful, we have a few roof issues which we`d rather not repair!Therefore, we don`t want to "Disclose".
Me: I`m sorry, I can`t be part of this. It`s my license and trust me my license is worth keeping.
Wife: Well, you work for us! Period! End of the story!
Me: Mind if I ask you a question.? Why are you looking at hiring a Realtor if you both know so much?
Husband: We`re in need of a Realtor who will do as we tell them. Is that clear?

It`s comical to watch these two people in action. Both attempting to dictate how the contract should read,without quite understanding the law. Both don`t want to disclose issues which will "Effect Sale" and they want a Realtor who can slide it all by!
I wished them the best and hope they find what they`re looking for.

Attention Realtors: Earn 100% commission on each transaction.

Attention Realtors: Earn 100% commission on each transaction.

Offered in Miami-Dade,Broward,Marion,Orange and Palm Beach Counties.Realtors: Earn 100% commission on each transaction!

Florida List For Less Realty,Inc. was formed 3 years ago with the understanding of "Realtors Selling Real Estate".

We didn`t believe in a Multi-Level Marketing platform to attract others in the profession. Our companies business model is based on Realtors who wish to maximize their earnings,without paying a franchise or marketing fee.

Let`s face it!

These additional "Fee`s" eat into your profit margins. After all it`s your valuable time,gas,telephone calls,advertsing expenses which add up when marketing or selling a home. Suddenly, a 70% commission is now paid out at 62% after fee`s are deducted.
At Florida List For Less Realty,Inc. we believe our Realtors should be compensated for their hard efforts.

Real Estate has evolved so much these last few years, the cost of doing business has doubled leaving many in our industry to seek other avenues of employment.

Now you can enjoy the best of "Both Worlds".
Earn 100% commission:
Our agents receive 100% with every transaction.
We charge a $395.00 transaction fee with each sale.
No franchise fee`s or hidden fee`s.
Be your own boss.
Our agents receive the following:
Advertising. Your listings are placed on all major web sites and search engines.
Leads generated are directed to you.
Free Web Site.Establish presence on the net.
We have a "Full Time" web designer to assist you.
Legal Assistance. We believe if you have any questions it`s easier to speak directly to an attorney rather than contacting a "Hot Line" for assistance.
Training. We`ve taught some of the best in the state of Florida how to become "Top Producers. Our one-on-one training is offered to you 7 days a week.
No charge for E&O insurance.
In house "Professional Stager" as well as a "Full Time" handyman to assist you and your clients. On Staff Transaction Coordinator.
Maximize your success rate today.

For a confidential interview:

Please contact Scott Daniels @ 954-275-0200 or
email realestatefla1@yahoo.com.

The Scott Scott Daniels Real Estate Group and Florida List For Less Realty,Inc
http://www.floridalistforlessrealty.com/

When times were good did your Broker raise your commissions? Why are they lowering them now?

When times were good did your Broker raise your commissions? We all know the answer to that question!
Now,times have changed it seems many of the National Real Estate Franchises have dropped a bombshell on their agents and have begun to reduce their commission structure.
Why?

It seems apparent many of these offices are having a problem with paying bills and the overall expenses running an office.Many of these offices recruited agents in the hopes they would recruit other agents,which would generate a tremendous amount of sales. Many of these Brokers would sit back and relax,never worrying about going out and pounding the pavement. Times were different three years ago! Business was good and everyone applied for a Real Estate license.

In reality, majority of these companies forgot one important ingredient to the equation.In order to survive in a bad market you still need to generate sales!Realtors,have to produce in order for a Real Estate Office to survive,without sales, you can have 300 agents in you`re office,but if only a handful are actually generating sales it`s almost impossible to survive.
Faced with difficult times and a turn in the market, these offices are now looking at their Realtors. They believe reducing commissions is the answer? Is it?I don`t know about you but why should my hard work and effort be penalized?It seems their is a sudden shift in how many seasoned Realtors feel. Many are disgruntled and are looking for alternative solutions.

We`ve always been a firm believer in offering experienced agents a 100% commission structure.For years the larger firms have criticized this model without rhyme or reason.The reasoning behind the 100% structure is simple.If you`ve been in this business long enough you realize one thing "Marketing your listings generate leads".A Realtor in today`s market is a "Self Promoter".

The expenditure of cash is out of your pocket not the office you work in. Our belief is to allow Realtors to market and sell their listing and earn what they rightfully deserve.
An environment of "Realtors selling Real Estate" can survive in good times and in bad!
Why should you suffer the consequences of receiving a lower commission because you`re office feels everyone should share the pain of a bad market?

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Tag:South Florida Real Estate Agents earn 100% commissions.

When times were good did your Broker raise your commissions? Why are they lowering them now?

I witnessed a Real Live Cat Fight at a closing!

I watched in horror yesterday as two sisters decide to walk away from a closing laying blame on everyone around them.
Hard to believe, yet true.
Apparently, one feels the others was receiving more money than the other from the proceeds.
Rather than work it out at the closing table these two decide to have a live "Cat Fight" at the title company. Classy,huh?

As the buyer,myself,attorney and buyer`s agent sat in disbelief watching this transpire I kept wondering the motivation behind this.So much hatred for each other.

We attempted to quell the situation to no avail. As I tried to step in one of the sisters begins to attack me!

The conversation is as follows:

Me: Isn`t there someway we can resolve this matter?
Seller #1: It`s all your fault. I never wanted to sell my share of the home!
Me: My fault? You hired me to sell the home,remember?
Seller#1: Yeah,but I changed my damn mind after seeing what I would get!
Me: We went over this before! You had a pre payment penalty on your loan.
Seller#1: You should have been able to work that out for me!
Me: I have no control over what you did.
Seller#2: Look, my sister doesn`t want to close because i`m receiving more money. I`m not gonna give her a dime!
Attorney: Are we both ready to sign the papers?
Seller #1&2: Hell No! we`re not signing today.

With that the sisters walk their separate ways,not understanding the ramifications surrounding a default.
Both hate each other so much,each not caring about one another and yet, they lived under the same roof together for 15 years!

Playing Cowboys and Indians with a Short Sale.

We`ve been going back and forth with a lender who is relying on a $40 BPO to determine the actual sales price of a home we`re attempting to sell.
The Comps were sent,as well as inspection reports,roof reports and liens on the home.
The negotiator seems indifferent to the entire process and doesn't grasp how off this BPO is.

Maybe this is a new stall tactic by the lenders,who knows anymore?

I`m convinced the negotiator is very young as well. I keep receiving his hieroglyphics notes to me words like (U,Thanx,UR,CYA,COOL,G8eat!) are part of the vocabulary.
It`s disheartening at best and doesn`t accomplish anything for the Seller and Buyer.
In spite of the hoopla of Fannie and Freddie coming to the rescue, the world of "SHORT SALES" across the country are in limbo!

Suddenly the lenders seem completely lost as to how to proceed.
Many inside the "Loss mitigation Depts." get reassigned and the entire process begins once again.

The average time to complete a transaction is 4-6 months. How many buyers do you know will wait that long?
I`m not alone in our opinion. It`s wide spread.
The media and the pundits in Washington speak as if "help is on the way". If it is we`re at a loss for words.

Back to the negotiator. I sent him the Comps one more time with a reminder that I`ve been doing this for 10+ years, so i`m very familiar with how a CMA works.
We sent the lenders the most recent sales in the area.

Here is his response.
"the comps you sent are all smaller than our subject property. And based on what they either sold for or are listed for, the counter remains at 295k. Thanx!!!!!!!!!!!"

The negotiator is referring to "Comps" in the area that are 100 Sq/Ft. less than the subject property.
It`s unbelievable how these banks get anything completed anymore!

The Indians are circling the wagons.

Sherlock Holmes would have been proud. Buyer attempts to deal with our seller.

We showed our listing located in Pembroke Pines, Florida on Wednesday to a couple who really liked the home.
They asked all kinds of questions and seemed ready to place an offer.
We discussed the home for an hour,we parted with the impression they`d get back to me in the morning.

Rule #1 in Real Estate is to never pressure a buyer into buying. Let them decide for themselves.

I waited until the next day and left a message.
We didn`t hear back from the buyers.

On Friday, I received a call from our seller who informed me they located a buyer for their home and was wondering if they had to compensate us a commission.
As the seller spoke I realized the buyers were in fact the people we showed the home to.
I asked the seller how they found the buyers.

The conversation is as follows.

Me: How were you able to locate the buyers?

Seller: well, huh, they just ahhh Knocked on our door.

Me: Really? Did you think anything about that?

Seller: Well ahhh no, they did ahhh mention they saw our home.

Me: Were their names ^%*#%&%$?

Seller: Ahh, humm, well yeah!

Me: Ask them who showed then your lovely home.

Seller: What difference does it make? They want to buy direct!

Me: No difference, except you and I have a written and bining contract.In the contract it states we`re to be paid a commission whether we show the home or we don`t.In this case we showed the home to these buyers who have decided they can negotiate directly with you!

Seller: Ahhha, yeah, but,but, they knocked on our door.

Me: Ask them if they know the Realtor who showed the home.

I decide to end the conversation and contact the buyer.

The buyers gave me a round about explanation as to what transpired.They swore up and down they only knocked on the door to see the home one more time before contacting our office to place the offer.
Some days you have to act like Sherlock Holmes in order to prove a point.

There are no "Entitlement Programs" in a Short Sale.

Yesterday was a culmination of what`s been going all wrong with Short Sales.
Many people begin to believe their are "Entitlements" when selling a home in a Short Sale.
People who for whatever reason were able to secure loans two years ago can no longer afford to pay a mortgage.
Rather than deal with reality, they begin to believe they`ll be rewarded.
The truth is very simple" The lenders won`t compensate you and neither will the listing agent who sells your home".

I sat at a listing appointment yesterday going over what transpires in a Short Sale with the potential seller. They were referred to me from a client who`s home we recently sold in a "Short Sale".
I went over the entire procedure,explained how the lenders work, the Comps, and I thought all was well until the person began to question me.

The conversation is as follows:

Me: Once we list your home we`ll contact the "Loss Mitigation" department for instructions on what to do next.

Short Sale: How much money will I receive?

Me: Money? You`re upside down in your home. There isn`t any money.

Short Sale: If I list my home with you, why not compensate me?

Me: Pay You to sell your home? That`s a first for me. Sorry we don`t do things like that.

Short Sale: You mean I get nothing?

Me: Look at it this way! We`ll be lucky to get this home sold at a price the lenders can live with. Isn`t that good enough?

Short Sale: It`s important for me to receive something. You can do it!

Me: You haven`t paid your mortgage in 4 months. The home is worth less than you purchased it for. There isn`t any compensation here.

With that i decided to excuse myself from this person and told them to "Think about it and call me in the morning". Hopefully,prevailing minds will apply.

There are no rewards in a "Short Sale".

Are Real Estate Reality TV Shows giving our profession a bad name?

A few days ago we received a call from an investor who informed us they were interested in selling their home.
That being said it usually means they`re interested in listing the home and placing it on the MLS.
We began to discuss a strategy on how we can "market" the home and the investor decided to set me straight.

They explained how they had "NO INTENTIONS" of listing ther home with an agent,they wanted us to locate a buyer for the property!They expressed how Realtors help others on REAL ESTATE TV shows!
Lately, we`ve been receiving these calls on a regular basics. For some unknown reason many investors and homeowners believe they can contact the local "Realtor"just like the TV does and have them find a buyer for them because it`s our duty.
It`s becoming an epidemic in our profession as people feel they no longer have to commit to anyone,and expect results!

Two weeks ago we received a similar call from a person who wanted us to "Advertise" their property without offering us a commission. They wanted us to do the job Pro-Bono.

Many feel these reality TV shows make Realtors look like puppets when showing a home or negotiating a sales price.
These Real Estate TV shows protray Realtors in a bad light!
Everything that is done on these shows make selling a home look like any Tom,Dick or Jane can do what we do!


The simple truth is we don`t and it`s fascinating to listen to people contact with us with jubilation and expect us to perform our trade without compensation.

Back to the caller for a moment. The investor expressed to me how "They Overpaid" for the home.They realized the home was "upside down" so therefore, they couldn't afford to offer us any compensation,but if I heard of someone interested would I be so kind to give pass them the name?

The person felt we as Realtors are overpaid as it is,therefore, when someone is in trouble, it`s our civic duty to help,without any questions asked!
I decided to ask this person a few questions.

The conversation is as follows:
Me:Who sold you the home?

Savvy investor:I bought the home through our Investment Club.

Me:Why don`t you call your investment club for help?

Savvy investor:They disbanded last year,after we all realized we needed professional assistance when buying a home.

Me: Great, I told her now it`s time you hire a professional to bail you out!

Case closed!

Do you accept IOU`s with your clients?

Never before have we actually been approached by a prospective tenant asking us if the "Landlord will accept an IOU" in lieu of paying the rent.
It takes a lot for a person to assume someone would.Yet as I awaited the "punch line" from this person, I could tell they were quite serious.
We do a lot of rentals throughout Florida. Basically, the rules are simple. The landlords require "1st,last and security" when accepting a new tenant.
The call came in yesterday afternoon while I was training our newest agent. They wanted to view our listing in Hollywood,Florida. Without hesitation we told the prospective tenant we`d be there in 20 minutes for them to view the home. I wanted our agent to "Get a Feel" for the way we do business.
We showed the home to this person, they indicated they wanted it and we directed this person back to our office to write the lease and run a credit check. We explained the procedure to this person,they seemed to understand until we got down to business.
The conversation is as follows:
Me: We need you to fill out a "Reference Sheet" so we may proceed.
Mr. IOU: Great! Do you think the landlord will allow me to move in next Thursday?
Me: Sure, it`s not a problem, we need to write the lease, send a copy to the landlord and collect a check for the 1st months rent.
Mr. IOU: Well, there is a slight problem. I`m kinda short for the rent!
Me: Do you have at least 1 month`s rent?
Mr. IOU: Actually, I don`t have any right now, but I`m good for it! I just relocated from Wisconsin.
Me: So, you`re asking the landlord to rent you a home with an IOU?
Mr. IOU: Yes, i`m going have the money in 30 days.
With that we immediately tell Mr. IOU this isn`t how we do business. He appeared to understand and asked if I can make the call to the landlord anyway and explain his circumstance.

I don`t know about you, but dealing with IOU`s isn`t our thing!
How would you have dealt with this situation?

Banks begin to protect their interests from Homeowners facing foreclosure!

With so many homeowners losing their homes to Foreclosure the banks have begun to protect their interests in the home.
Recently, there seems to be a rash of homeowners who have decided to "GET EVEN" with the banks.
Some have "Destroyed" their homes by flooding them,punching holes in the walls,throwing garbage all over as well as leaving rotted food in the refrigerator causing a horrific Oder.
Their motivation is directed at the actual loss of the home and who better to blame but the lenders.

Some homeowners justify this behavior as a way of releasing frustration. It`s hard to rationalize this behavior,yet many are doing it.
To prevent this from continuing the lenders have decide to protect their interests by changing the locks, to prevent vandalism.

In the past two weeks we have personally experienced this type of behavior. I can tell you it`s almost impossible to prevent, and the mere fact the home is trashed demonstrates the frustration these former homeowners are experiencing.

It doesn`t appear the lenders or the Fed are yet willing to assist these people,in spite of what the media mentions.
These people are losing something "they worked hard" to obtain. It`s not easy to admit defeat,so from their perspective "getting even" is the only way.
Have you experienced this type of attitude with your clients?
How do you prevent this from happening?
What do you explain to these people?
Society is changing, and not for the better!

When driving a potential client to do an "Overview" of a neighborhood becomes obsolete.How the net has changed our marketing approach.

Two years ago we used to give potential clients an overview of an area they wished to view by driving them around. The cost of gas wasn`t as high as it is today.The cost of gas wasn`t as expensive as it is today.We viewed it as an investment for the future. Realistically, the closing ratio`s on these "overviews" are 1-5.
Gas prices weren`t as high as they are today,we really never gave it much thought.

Overviews today are no longer a viable option. Gas prices are off the roof,a tank of gas is north of $70.00.
Faced with this situation we have began to take videos of different neighbors of Broward County.When someone wishes to look at Pembroke Pines we now send them our video or CD.
It`s almost impossible to accommodate everyone as we once did.
It`s hard to believe how the Real Estate market has changed in only a few short years.
The Net has changed the course of our normal business practice.
Without the net and new technology offered I guess many of us would truly be "out of business" per se.

Basically, we take video`s of different neighborhoods and combine them for the client.
These videos run an average of 20-30 minutes.

Two months ago we sent an overview to a potential client relocating from Chicago.
They weren`t sure back than if they would be offered a job in South Florida.
For them the time they spent while here on the interview really wasn`t enough of an indication if they`d like the area or not. Housing and relocating to another state is always a huge concern.

We gave them a CD of three area`s in Broward they expressed interest in.We filmed the schools,shopping and highways for this person to view as well as certain communities we felt this client would like.

Yesterday, the client called,informing me they accepted the job offer and needed to begin looking at securing a home immediately.

The time we invested in the video was very well spent. We now have different CD`s we can send to other clients as well.
Taking a person in your car today to do an "Over View"now seems obsolete.

For a free CD of area`s of Broward County Florida.

Please email :realestatefla1@yahoo.com

Visit us @ www.listfloridahomesforless.com

Tel: 954-275-0200.

Short Sale Update: Why do Buyer`s feel they can send ridiculous offers and the Seller`s must accept?

Recently, we`ve received a rash of ridiculous offers on listings we have which are "Short Sales".
There seems to be confusion from many buyer`s who believe they can make "Low Ball" offers to the sellers of these properties and they`ll simply sign.Guess what? They can refuse to sign the offer and rightfully so.

Somehow the Buyer`s agents representing these clients firmly believe the sellers must sign off to these insane offers,and get upset the seller`s aren`t cooperating.

It`s clear the confusion is rampant.

A Short Sale occurs when a property is sold and the lender agrees to accept a discounted payoff, meaning the lender will release the lien that is secured to the property upon receipt of less money than is actually owed.

That mentioned if a mortgagee owes the lender $300,000 and has listed their home for sale at $250,000 doesn`t mean they`ll accept offers for $125,000!Would you?

By now many in the Real Estate profession know the lenders will not accept these insane offers, the time and effort involved to send them is very time consuming.

Unless you`re serious in buying a home that is below market value and priced accordingly it is our opinion you`re buying for all the right reasons. If you`re in the market to send ridiculous offers all over town, may I save you the time and tell you to forget it!
For additional information on "Understanding how a Short Sale Works" please feel free to contact us at 954-275-0200.
It`s our pleasure assisting you.